Tag Archives: butterfly gardening

Liatris Ligulistylis Supports Monarch Butterflies

August 8, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Liatris ligulistylis, or meadow blazing star, is a perennial plant that blooms in late summer and autumn. Its bright purple flowers provide food for butterflies, hummingbirds and pollinating insects, so much so that it has earned the nickname “the …

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Agastache Mango Tango Checks All the Boxes

August 1, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Agastache Mango Tango has many things gardeners look for in a perennial for late summer: It blooms for a long time (midsummer to fall), it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, it tolerates drought and heat and it resists deer and …

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Caradonna Salvia Is a Perennial Favorite

April 18, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Caradonna salvia is a popular variety thanks to its long bloom time and its bright purple flowers that stand out against their dark purple stems. It feeds bees and butterflies but resists deer and rabbits.

Perennial Plant of the Year 2017: Asclepias tuberosa

January 2, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Asclepius tuberosa has been named Perennial Plant of the Year for 2017. It is drought tolerant and deer resistant. It has long-lasting orange flowers that appear in summer. Its flowers feed adult butterflies, and its stems and leaves serve …

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Mildew-resistant Phlox for Late Summer and Autumn

September 20, 2016 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Tall border phlox bring cheerful color to the garden in late summer, but their foliage can become marred with powdery mildew. Happily, there are mildew-resistant phlox with leaves that stay clean and green, setting off their bright blossoms. Phlox …

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Feed the Bees With Beedance Bidens Nonstop Flowers

August 15, 2016 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Draw bees and butterflies to your garden with ‘Beedance Painted Red’ bidens, which blooms spring through fall. Heat doesn’t stop these flowers, but it does have an effect on them.

Lure Hummingbirds With Salvia Summer Jewel White

August 1, 2016 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: ‘Summer Jewel White’, an award-winning tender salvia, draws hummingbirds, bees and butterflies with its tubular flowers. Meanwhile its compact size and pure white color makes it an easy addition to garden beds and containers alike. This ornamental sage makes …

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You Will Love ‘Bandera Purple’ Spanish Lavender

July 6, 2016 | Jennifer Smith | 0

Plant it in the garden, in a container, grow it as an indoor plant or give it as a gift. ‘Bandera Purple’ is at home just about anywhere. This lavender has a compact mounding habit that maintains a tight form. …

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These Prairie Garden Plants Stand Tall

July 1, 2016 | Jennifer Smith | 0

Once I started working my way into the more naturalized area of the large sun garden, I noticed a great selection of wonderfully tall plants. Some are stunners and some seem to verge on being a bit thuggish. If …

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Plants We Love: Salvia ‘Black & Bloom’

June 20, 2016 | Jennifer Smith | 0

The beloved Salvia ‘Black & Blue’ has been one-upped by the new variety ‘Black & Bloom’. This new variety blooms earlier, has larger flowers, thicker leaves and darker stems. Easy to care for, ‘Black & Bloom’ thrives in the …

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Echinacea ‘Golden Skipper’ Attracts Butterflies to the Summer Garden

May 4, 2016 | Jennifer Smith | 0

This coneflower’s blooms are saturated with golden yellow color, and at 18-inches tall it’s perfect for smaller gardens as well as containers. ‘Golden Skipper’ reaches its mature size the first year, an attractive feature to impatient gardeners. It attracts …

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