Birds Archives - Page 9 of 12 - Betty Hall Photography

Purple Coneflower – a favorite perennial

If I could plant only one native perennial, it would be Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). In June and July, its pinkish-purple blossoms attract numerous butterflies.

”Tiger

It is also a host plant for small Silvery Checkerspot butterflies (Chlosyne nycteis).

Now, in mid-September, the few remaining blooms are less showy and many have been replaced by seed heads.

Purple--coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) -and-seedhead

The seeds are attracting goldfinches (Carduelis tristis), one of my favorite year-round backyard birds. I enjoy seeing them and hearing their ‘chatter’ as they feed. The striking yellow and black of the mature males certainly adds a bright spot to the garden. However, they will soon change to a yellowish-olive color for winter, and then the males will closely resemble the females.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) on Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

The sturdy seed heads will be empty by January and they will provide visual interest to the garden throughout the winter.

Purple Coneflowers are easy to grow. They are drought-resistant and prefer sun, though mine grow well with some shade. I like the attractive foliage in spring, the beautiful blooms in summer, the food for goldfinches in autumn, and the added texture in the winter garden.

For all these reasons, Purple Coneflowers are among my favorite native perennials.

Cardinal Flowers and Hummingbirds

I’m enjoying the bright red Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) and Great Blue Lobelias (Lobelia siphilitica) that are blooming around the Bald Cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) in our rain garden.

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica). According to Tom Barnes, author of Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky, Cardinal Flowers “may be the best hummingbird-attracting plant in the state.” I’ve enjoyed seeing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) feeding on our plants. I’ve discovered that photographing them is indeed a challenge, but managed to get this image.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Arcchilochus colubris) & Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds and it’s great fun to have them in the backyard. I try attracting them with feeders but we see them much more often on the native plants. Cardinal Flowers are one of my favorite native plants and the fact that they draw hummingbirds makes them extra special.

Garden tour and Scarlet Bee Balm

I’m happy to say the Wild Ones 2011 Kentucky Native Plant Tour went quite well. We had ominous weather reports the night before, but Sunday afternoon turned out to be a great time to be outdoors. We had approximately 200 participants.

It’s quite gratifying to know so many people have an interest in native plants. It was also a great opportunity to let folks know about our local chapter of Wild Ones. This organization is a valuable resource for those wanting to know about using natives in their landscapes.

The showiest plant in my backyard this weekend was the Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) which is now at peak bloom. This is a sentimental plant for me as I remember it from my grandmother’s garden. I love to crush and smell its aromatic leaves. I also like to use it in bouquets.

Someone on the tour asked if butterflies used Bee Balm. I have recently seen Pipevine Swallowtails (Battus philenor) and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) on it. Here is a Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) visiting a Bee Balm blossom.

I enjoy sharing our backyard. If you were unable to attend the tour would like to see it, please let me know and we’ll arrange a time.

There were so many tour participants that I ran out of copies of the history of our garden and resource list. Click the previous link to download a pdf.

Plans are underway for another Kentucky Native Plant Garden Tour next year – showcasing three different gardens. If you have any ideas or feedback, I’d like very much to receive them. You can leave a comment on this blog, which will be visible to the public, or send me a private message.

Water feature

Two years ago we added a water feature to the backyard. It’s near our patio, where we spend considerable time in the summer. I never tire of the sight and sounds of the flowing water. We often refer to it as the “pond.” It’s home to five goldfish. We don’t feed them but they seem to find plenty to eat and they have grown from about one to four inches long. We’re glad their diet includes mosquito eggs.

The pond is used by birds year around and it’s especially popular during hot summer days. Doves often come for a drink, while robins, cardinals, and grackles frequently come to bathe.

It’s fun to watch them from the kitchen window as they use their wings to do a lot of splashing. This robin (Turdus migratorius) certainly seemed to enjoy its bath.

We see occasional dragon flies and damsel flies, and other insects visit now and then. The pond adds another dimension to the backyard and I like sharing it with our various critters.

Columbine

I’m once again enjoying our native Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). The blossoms are an example of the amazing variety of colors, textures and shapes in the natural world. I like the way they dangle and dance with the slightest breeze.

The flowers will be gone in about a month, but I’ll continue to enjoy the foliage for most of the summer.

Columbine is a hardy plant and adaptable to a variety of growing conditions. I have some plants in our dry shade garden and some in full sun and they seem happy in both locations.

The blossoms are also an excellent source of nectar for hummingbirds. I’ve seen a male ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) in the backyard recently, and I hope he enjoys our columbine as much as I do.