Ma Nature's Garden

Gardening is a chore--and a joy when it works. But sometimes Ole Ma Nature does all the hard work for you. Last year we had tons of white daisies growing around the yard. They were back again this year. We also had a lovely patch of milkweed that had such sweet, sweet smelling flowers about this time of year and which attracted scads of butterflies. Unfortunately, I think the dang groundhogs got the milkweed. There are only one or two plants far from where they were last year.

We do get a few plants from the sunflower seeds the birds dropand that the chipmunks and mice miss.



This one got itself chomped on by the bear when the bear couldn't find the feeders. The flower head was just starting to swell at the time and looked like a big lollipop. It must not have tasted too good, however, because the bear only took one bite and then left it alone. I think it looks pretty cool like this. Sort of like one of those singing flowers you used to see in the old time musical cartoons of the thirties and forties. A young damsel with a bonnet just waiting to burst into song.

As if to make up for the milkweed, this year we have lots of wild bergamot.



And I mean LOTS!



It's not as sweet smelling to me, but then my sense of smell isn't the greatest. The butterflies like it as well as the bees and other insects.

The white Queen Anne's Lace is also abundant.



Even the prickly thistle plant produces a pleasant looking little purple flower and when that matures, a fuzzy little brownish-white tuft.



The goldenrod are just now starting to produce their flower heads and soon the edges of the yard will be a bright yellow.

All these are "weeds" and yet they are quite pretty to look at and food sources for insects and birds alike. It's the reason I try not to cut back many of them. It's all part of nature's landscaping plan.