Now that May is here in central Illinois, it’s time to transplant the little seedlings you’ve put so much time and effort into and plant them in the location that you want them to stay. If you live in another planting zone, you may have already begun the process or are waiting just a little longer to begin this task.
Since I’ve decided to focus on pollinator plants this year, I’ve been busily putting those into a border along my back fence. It will include a number of perennials and annuals that are favorable to birds, including hummingbirds as well as bees, butterflies, and moths. There are Blue Sage, Blue Vervain, Purple Coneflower, Great Blue Lobelia, Sundial Lupine, Anise Hyssop (leaves smell like licorice), Rudbeckia and Pussytoes. There will be annuals such as zinnias. The border will consist of three levels with five to six feet plants in the back row, three to four foot plants in the middle, and one to two foot flowers and ground cover in the front. Some of the perennials will not bloom until next year, but if you’ll follow me this summer, I will post photos of their progress. Below is a photo of Rocky Mountain Penstemon that I planted last year, and now is budding out with purple blooms. It is supposed to attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies.
Rocky Mountain Penstemon planted from seed the previous year, this plant is perennial and although not blooming the first year, the flowers are a gorgeous blue and bumblebees, small native bees and other pollinators have been snacking on the nectar and transporting pollen. In addition there is another variety of Penstemon, also planted from seed shown below. This one is bi-colored and did bloom the first year although it is also a perennial in Illinois.
Because our soil is clay in our yard, it will be interesting to see how these wildflowers thrive or die. I will mulch them with straw or wood chips as they get a little larger. Usually I may lose a few to weather or bunnies or an enthusiastic pooch in a digging frenzy, but for most of them they will survive.
This is really my favorite time of year because I get to do a favorite hobby, gardening. And the months of planting and coddling the seeds to sprouts and hardening them off outdoors is about to pay off. Like many of you, we have had a lot of rain this spring, so planting is done on the drier days, and the rains relieve me of the task of daily watering until the transplants are growing like they should.