Tag: Joe Pye Weed
October Seedheads
I’m not one of those people who say that seedheads are just as good as flowers. They’re not. But in the absence of flowers, seedheads can be pretty nice to have around.
The Once and Future Monarchs
The number of Monarch butterflies out in the Front Garden seems to have peaked. For a while there were 6 or 7 at any typical moment, just recently it’s dropped to 3 or 4. I take this to mean that the core of the southern Monarch migration has passed through our area. Within a week …
Riding August’s Yellow Wave
At a certain point in August, the garden is swept up in a wave of yellow flowers. This is largely due to what I like to call the Susans, members of the genus Rudbeckia.
Season of Seedheads
As the days get shorter, flowers become scarcer and the garden fills with seedheads.
Pollinators, Known and Unknown, in the Late Summer Garden
Summer is winding down, but there are still plenty of pollinators in the garden. Here’s a collection of some I saw recently. Some are old friends, while certain others and I have never been properly introduced to others. Help with ID would be much appreciated.
Return to Mettawa Manor, Part I
Today Judy and I visited Mettawa Manor, the garden of Bill Kurtis and Donna LaPietra, as part of the Garden Conservancy‘s Open Gardens Day. This was our second visit, as we had been there in early June for an event organized by the Lurie Garden. You can read about that first visit here.
The Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary
I’ve lived practically next door to the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary ever since we moved back to Chicago 14 years ago. In fact, I’ve driven right past it on most days for all those years. And yet, last week was the first time I actually went there.
Hey Joe (Pye Weed)
August brings not just the Susans, but also Joe – as in Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium). Note that Joe Pye Weeds used to be Eupatoriums, but now thanks to the ever-busy taxonomists they are Eutrochiums. This is arguably an improvement since Eutrochium is one syllable shorter. (I’ve written my Senator demanding passage of a bill barring …
A Plant Called … Golden Glow
So remember those two substantial-looking plants that were growing in the Driveway Border, except I had absolutely no memory of ever planting them? Well, they’re blooming now, and they turn out to be Rudbeckia laciniata, which also goes by the truly wonderful common name of Wild Golden Glow.
Seedhead Sunday
Scott at Rhone Street Gardens had the idea of posting a picture of seedheads on every Sunday. The inspiration was well-timed, as fall and winter are the seasons for seedheads in the garden. I was struck by some of the seedheads  I saw in the garden this afternoon, so I’ve decided to shamelessly imitate Scott’s …
gardeninacity 