Bayscape Blog 7/11/11

The Butterfly Bonus

by

Judy DeFiglio

Last week I shared with you, my joy at watching a family of hummingbirds visit my Monarda all day long. Today, I want to keep the (garden) party going and add the bonus of butterflies. As I walked around the garden yesterday pulling some weeds and seeing if anything new was blooming, I was delighted by so many different butterflies gliding around my garden. What a sight! The flowers were gorgeous, so plentiful this year, but the extra splashes of color from the butterflies just added the crowning touch. What did I do to create this masterpiece of nature? I just planted the native plants that butterflies need and love.

Back in the blog of 9/27/10, Butterflies in Your Garden, I described what a butterfly needs to make your garden its home. This blog I want to focus on the flowers that you can grow to attract the butterflies. These plants are mostly for sunny spots because butterflies need the sun to be able to fly. Grow a variety of plants that bloom at different times and you will provide food for the different butterfly and their larvae throughout the season.

Spring blooming Bluestar(Amsonia tabernaemontana), has pretty, light blue star shaped flowers on 3 foot tall stems. It is an early nectar source for several butterflies. The foliage has good yellow fall color.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) tops the list if you want to attract monarch butterflies. This bright orange flowered plant loves it hot and dry. It grows 12 to 30 inches tall and thrives in our sandy soil. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnate) is another milkweed that attracts monarchs. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and as the name implies, likes a wetter site. The flowers are pink.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) grows 2 to 3 feet tall with large, dark pink flowers and provides nectar for a wide variety of butterflies (pictured above). It blooms all summer long. Another summer bloomer that looks good with coneflower in your garden and attracts many different butterflies is blazing star (Liastris spicata). The 3 to 4 foot tall spikes of pinkish-purple flowers add a great accent to your landscape design.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) are the workhorse of any summer garden. The long lasting, bright yellow flowers are drought tolerant. Butterflies love them and so do I.

If you have the space, Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum) will bring monarchs and swallowtails to your garden. This great plant with pinky, fuzzy flowers can grow up to 8 feet tall and like moist soil.

Asters (Asrer novae-angliae) are a great choice to attract butterflies later in the season. They can grow up to five feet tall, and the violet flowers look great in a fall garden. Another late bloomer that butterflies love is goldenrod (Solidago). The abundant, golden yellow flowers add a burst of color when most everything else in your garden has given up (and no they don’t cause hayfever).

Try some of these native plants in your garden. Not only will you get beautiful flowers, but also the added bonus of butterflies. Isn’t it wonderful that doing something so good for the birds, bees, butterflies and Barnegat Bay can bring such beauty and joy to ourselves too.

One of the jewels in my garden. Happy 4th of July

Bayscape Blog 6/1/11


The Jewels in My Garden

By Judy DeFiglio



I woke up to the perfect summer day today. Sunny and warm with a soft breeze and no humidity, it can’t get better than this. No wait, it did get better! I stepped out on the deck to enjoy my morning tea and was greeted by this amazing addition to my garden. Sparkling like a jewel in the sunshine, this industrious hummingbird was hard at work among the monarda. He even stayed long enough for me to run inside for my camera. What a beautiful way to start the day.

This is the kind of bonus you get when you plant natives in your garden. You can attract hummingbirds to your yard without having to bother with feeders, having to boil sugar water and washing out the tubes. Plant beebalm (monarda) and the hummingbirds come. Monarda is easy to grow and is very fragrant both the flowers and the leaves. It does belong to the mint family and can spread quickly. It is not difficult to remove but still, I plant it in lean soil and do not water or fertilize it.

Another native that attracts hummingbirds is gayfeather (Liatris). These three feet tall spires of rosy-purple flowers look great planted with coneflowers (Echinacea) and black-eyed-Susans (Rudbeckia) in a summer garden. Liatris also attracts a variety of butterflies. It’s easy to grow and easy to care for.

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a hummingbird magnet. The bright, red, tubular flowers are one of their favorites (and one of mine too). This native tends to be short-lived, but it is so pretty it is well worth it for however long it stays around. It does needs moist soil, so it is a good plant for a wet site or rain garden.

Hummingbirds will also visit your garden if you plant our native columbine (Aquilegia Canadensis). They are an important source of nectar because they bloom at the time that the hummingbirds are migrating north in the spring. I love these red and yellow flowers with their interesting spurs.

If you are looking for a flowering shrub that attracts hummingbirds, sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) is a great choice. This is a versatile plant that will grow in sun or shade and in wet or dry sites. The white flowers are fragrant and there is a pink form available. One cultivar is aptly named “Hummingbird”.

Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is a hardy, fast growing vine that will grow in any soil. It can take dry, infertile soil and even salt spray from the ocean, but do not plant this one in fertile soil or it will take over your garden. That being said it is a spectacular native plant and hummingbirds love the large red trumpet shaped flowers. Grow it on something sturdy. It can be pruned back if it gets too large.

Try one or all of these native plants in your landscape and enjoy the extra special treat of these jeweled visitors to your garden.