Today is Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for August. Bloom Day is a monthly garden meme hosted over at May Dreams Garden, allowing gardeners from around the world to share what is blooming in their gardens. I’ve noticed on the Lot a handful of the plants that began blooming in July are also blooming this month.
These include:
- Blanket Flower (Gaillardea)
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Dwarf Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Buttefly Kisses’)
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
- Multiple Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata)
- Tall Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
- Dwarf Sea Holly (Eryngium planum ‘Blue Hobbit’)
- Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber)
- Rose Champion (Lychnis coronaria)
- Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Joining the bloomin’ party this month is the butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) and the great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica). Right now the two are elbowing for space, so I’ll have to space them out more in the Spring.
Also new this month are the pretty, blue blooms of plumbago (Ceratostigma). Last Fall, I thinned clumps of plumbago from the large patch in the backyard bed. Those plants were then transferred to the front, south-facing bed. It seems the plant has successfully established itself. I’m excited to see how the red foliage will look in the south bed this Fall.
Finally, here is the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) I planted on the Lot last season. It was purchased at a native plant sale. I am quite excited about this plant because it is supposed to be a rockstar in providing for insects and birds. It towers over other plants in the lot, standing at about 8′ tall right now. Check it out, yo.
And here are just a couple of the many winged visitors to the plant today. I counted at least 5 different types of bees.
So, the second insect had me stumped. I searched about on The Interwebs today but had no luck. One last try as I was writing this post turned up the name Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus). They feed primarily on nectar and pollen of plants in late summer. Occasionally they’ll treat themselves to an aphid or two. Here is a close-up.
Your cup plant did two things for me. First, it taught me that the tall yellow flower I remember from my childhood is called Silphium. Secondly, it made me want to tell you what we call that flower in Sweden. Its common name is “Dassblomma”. ‘Dass’ is the word for the old-fashioned Privy. Because of its impressive height, it was common in the old days, to plant Silphium as a privacy screen around this particular outhouse – thus the name. Pretty fun, huh? I’m so glad I finally have an English name for it!
How fun! Thank you for sharing, Anna. I have been told by older relatives that here in the States the hollyhock served the purpose of screening the outhouse.
I’m astounded how many plants you can grow in Michigan that we can grow here! What a fun connection!
Hello Linda! It was so great to meet and chat with you in Toronto. Thank you for stopping by my little garden blog (aka diary). Happy gardening.
Gorgeous cup plant! I’ve yet to plant one of these, but I’ve read so much about the merits of this plant, I really should. Great shot of the beetles! And to add to Anna’s thoughts, my grandmother had a large Jackmanii clematis near their outhouse. It took me a long time to appreciate that particular clematis without thinking of that image from my childhood:)
Oh how funny, Rose. I wonder if we all have our own outhouse floral stories. Thank you for the compliment on the cup plant! I am having a blast with how many insects it is drawing. I’m also excited to see what the birds will do when it goes to seed.