Wildflowers

Fleabain

False Foxglove

Mullein which was imported to North America for medicinal purposes.

Mullein up close

Passion flower

Spiderwort

I asked an aunt if she had any pets. She said she only owned what the man upstairs sent to visit. There were many, many birds who visited her garden. In the evening she often saw a rabbit or two.

This year, I am planting some serious flowers, marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers in my vegetable garden. I like zinnias. Sunflowers are beautiful. You can eat the seed but I leave them for the birds. Marigolds are pretty little yellow and orange flowers on a plant that wards off insects. I am planting Marigolds around my tomatoes big time. Sunflowers act as a nice little heat shield to prolong the life of my tomatoes. I don't think anything can get squash and cucumber though the heat of summer will end them by June. 

I plant enough for the animals. But the deer can be ever so greedy.

This year, I had peach blossoms galore. The peach trees I have are all volunteers which were probably planted by the deer. Those trees are loaded. I am going to knock some fruit off one tree in hopes of getting a few peaches of a decent size.

Usually I enjoy the flowers that the man upstairs send. I prefer the native varieties. I understand the honeysuckle of my youth is actually the very invasive Japanese honeysuckle. Japanese honeysuckle can easily grow sixty feet up into a tree. The plentiful dark blue berries are apparently tasty fruit the birds eat and distribute.

Native honeysuckle are the ubiquitous trumpet flower that blooms profusely all summer. 

There is a similar vine to the trumpet flower but you get little tiny white flowers and then luscious little berries. But don't eat them. A few will not hurt you but the oxalic acid they contain is poisonous to humans but not to birds. A pepper vine can grow so heavy and thick they will pull a tree down. I allowed a vine to grow up in a volunteer persimmon tree. The vine broke the tree and the tree is apparently dead. 

My Cat Cheshire on the roof amidst Sycamore leaves emerging on a nearby tree.

Dandelions

Invasive Privet in full bloom

Japanese Honeysuckle growing on Privet.

Privet can be very pretty and has a lovely smell. It is a shame it is so invasive.