I went out to the Bee Garden at the Austin Community Landfill on Friday hoping to do a lot of work. Well, I didn't get to do much because the ground was just too wet. The weather next week is expected to be cold and rainy, so the garden will remain on hold for another week–although I think I'll get out there and do some cutting back.
Even though I couldn't work in the gardens, the plants are hard at work. I love watching the plants as they begin poking through the ground. In just a few weeks, the garden is going to blast into full growth. In the photo below, the Sunflowers (Helianthus) Vernon and I transplanted to our new fence line are popping up little green leaves. They are going to be looking good late in the summer.
The Fall Asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) are poking up, too. I really am late getting these trimmed back. These are spectacular fall bee-friendly flowers.
Vernon and I transplanted a bunch of Greg's Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) last fall to make one large patch. It is just barely poking through the ground. Glad to see it made it through the freeze. It attracts various pollinators, including native bees, pretty much all summer and fall. I like this plant, but I think Betony-leaf Mistflower (C. betonicifolium) is my favorite. The bees like them both.
We are going to have a ton of Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) this year.
Of course, not only are the garden plants looking good, so are the "weeds." Many of them will be good early native bee plants, so I will try to leave them to flower and pull them before seed-set.
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