Planting Tips for NON-GMO Milkweed Seeds/ Butterfly weed

If you love watching monarch butterflies and other butterfly species then plan to grow non-GMO milkweed seeds in your garden, field, or other open space. Milkweed plants (Asclepias) are the plants that attract Monarch butterflies, other butterflies, and hummingbirds because of the nectar source. This plant is also attractive to Monarch butterflies for egg-laying. 

Butterfly white tree nymph and the milkweed plant

If you plan on growing milkweed this season then I would recommend that you start your seeds indoors. Milkweed needs a (cold season) This is an important step as the cold temperature is needed for seeds to germinate. 

So before you plant your seeds you would dampen a paper towel, set the seeds on the towel, and put the towel in a ziplock plastic bag. Set the bag with seeds onto a baking sheet or other flat surface and put it in your refrigerator for 30 days. 

Remove the milkweed seeds after 30 days and plant your seeds in starter kits or in the ground. If the weather is not hot, then plant outdoors, but if your temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit then milkweed will not germinate outdoors I would recommend growing them indoors in a container, then transplanting them outdoors.

Know that it is recommended to plant milkweed seeds in the fall for the following spring season. 

Growing Verbena in Containers and Rock Garden

If you have a sunny rock garden that needs a pop of color then plant some verbena. This flower looks so pretty cascading over the rocks and is wonderful when growing in a free-standing or hanging container.

I love verbena and think that it is eye appealing flower. It is relaxing to view the flowers that bloom nonstop from late spring to autumn. The flowers stop blooming when the weather changes, and gets cool/cold.

I also like that this flower because once it is established in the garden it really does well with little water. I feed with Miracle Grow bloom boost in the spring and then mix a little spray and grow in the water and feed weekly.

Oh my gosh, the plants are so healthy and the flowers are glorious. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds to my yard and all enjoy this beautiful flower.

The verbena flowers come in a variety of colors; white, pink, red coral, and violet. There are also some two-tone flowers that have a yellow center and they are really pretty. The flower is made up of flower clusters that remind me of phlox, (shape) the flower itself is smaller. It is a pretty flower but it has no fragrance.

Normally I start my annual verbena plants in the greenhouse by growing them from seed. However last year I bought lovely mature verbena plants at Lowes garden center and hung these plants in my garden. The plant's stem fell over the sides of the container and was lovely.

 So you can grow verbena from seed or you can buy this plant at Walmart  Lowes and online garden centers like Brecks, Springhill, or Michigan Bulb.  I also found 1000 seeds by Carolina Seeds and Exotics at Amazon.com The price was fair with free shipping. 

Garden Tips for Growing Coneflowers

Grow Echinacea coneflowers and fill your yard with colorful blooms midsummer through fall.  Coneflowers are one of the easiest and most rewarding native plants, hardy almost everywhere in poor soil and drought tolerant.

Many gardeners grow coneflowers in a prairie or cottage garden with companion flowers daylily, black-eyed Susan, daisy, zinnia, catmint, and bee balm.  The flowers will attract butterflies, honeybees, hummingbirds, all summer long and in the fall songbirds arrive to forage on the big, seeds.

Garden Design

Design your coneflower garden in early spring. Decide on the color scheme and the type of garden. Use colored pencils to indicate the types of flowers. This garden design will help you when you plant your flowers.  Consider adding a water feature; birdbath or fountain as well as a garden bench so you can enjoy this visually appealing wildlife garden.

Where to Plant

Select a garden site that has eight hours of direct sun and well-drained soil.  Prepare the garden site by removing grass, weeds, and rocks. Loosen the soil with a tiller or shovel. Amend the soil with three inches of compost. For a mass planting or prairie garden, dig a trench that is as deep and wide as the nursery container. 

How to Plant 

Remove the flower from the nursery container. Set the container on its side and tap lightly on the side to loosen the soil, roll the container to the other side and tap again.  When the soil is loose gently, remove the plant from the container.  Gently shake the excess dirt from the roots and loosen the entwined roots from the root ball.  

Set the plant in the hole and place the roots on the soil so that they will grow outward. Fill in the hole with soil and firm the soil around the stem of the plant. Water the transplants well. To allow for growth, leave a space of twelve inches in-between plants.

Caring for Flowers

1. Feed the plants with water-based fertilizer that is formulated for flowers.  Follow the direction on the fertilizers for the amounts needed for your garden size.   
2. Apply two-inches of pine needles, dried grass clippings or wood bark chips.   The natural mulch will enrich the soil and aid in keeping the soil evenly moist. 
3. Cut back flowers after a hard frost and apply two inches of natural mulch to your garden bed.
4. Remove the mulch in spring and fertilize with all-purpose (the flower formula), I use miracle-gro.  
5. Watch for new growth.  If flowers come in thick and appear overcrowded, divide the clumps and transplant in spring.

Tips

• Mature plants are drought tolerant.
• During blooming season, remove spent blooms to encourage more flowers.
• Coneflowers will tolerate some partial shade in the heat the day.
• Water transplants daily until roots are established. Then water as needed, or a couple times a week.
• Weed the garden monthly to stop weeds from competing with flowers for nutrients.
• Leave seedheads to provide food for songbirds.

• Grow  in USDA zones 3-9. 

Warnings:

• Overcrowded coneflowers will attract powdery mildew.
• Check your garden for the Japanese beetle.  Treat garden pests by dusting with Diatomaceous earth food grade.
• Buy Coneflowers live plants not seeds at Brecks.nursery.com or Greenwoodnursery.com

 

Growing Coreopsis for Sun Gardens

A few years ago when I was hiking in the woods by my home I came across the yellow flowers of the coreopsis.  I noted that butterflies were in the area and decided to dig up one of the plants for my yard.  I grew the coreopsis amongst black-eyed Susan’s, ornamental grasses, spiderwort and liatris.  I liked the mix of plants as they were very eye appealing.

I planted the coreopsis by digging a hole that was deep enough to cover the roots.  The soil was amended with compost and I firmed the soil around the plant stem before watering it.  I kept the soil evenly moist and the plant grew quickly and produced many flowers.

Coreopsis flowers and peppermint

When the first batch of flowers were spent I removed them and sowed the seeds back into the garden. The seedlings grew in and soon I had a 9x18 area of prairie flowers.  These flowers will continue to bloom throughout summer provided they have 1 inch of water per week.  The roots are shallow and tend to dry out quickly.  

It is better to hydrate coreopsis once a week with a deep root watering than to water during the week.  If you live in a climate that has mild summers then no need to water.  You can watch your plant and water as needed. My summers are brutal with temperatures well into the 100's F.  I will water my coreopsis twice a week in the morning with soaker hose.  Plants receive 1/2 inch of water twice a week.

Planting tips for Coreopsis

The coreopsis is not picky about the soil and will grow in sandy, rocky or fertile soils provided it is well drained. Grow coreopsis easily from seed.  You can sow seeds outdoors 8 weeks prior to fall frost, or sow seeds in the spring after the danger of frost has past.  You can also buy a seedling in a nursery grown pot from your local garden center.  

If you are sowing seeds into the ground then sow them 12 inches apart and cover with one inch of soil.  Water the seeds so that the ground is evenly moist.  Take care of your seeds by covering them with a thin layer of organic mulch.  I have many birds in my area and so I covered my newly planted seeds with a thin layer of pine needles.  Continue to water the seedlings so that the soil is evenly moist but not wet.  Coreopsis is mature when the plant is 18-24 inches in height.

The plant grows into a clump and multi stems grow out of this six inch clump.  This plant will thrive in poor soil and is semi drought tolerant.

View gardens of coreopsis here:

Maintain Coreopsis

Remove the spent blooms, this will encourage repeat flowers. 

Feed the plants in spring with water based fertilizer.  I use spray-n-grow and the plants will grow stronger and healthier.

Tips

1. Leave seed heads on the plants at the end of summer so songbirds have food.  
2. Cut back plants to the soil surface after a hard frost and then apply two to three inches of organic mulch; straw, wood chips or pine needle mulch.
3. Groundhogs and leafhoppers will eat the flowers, leaves and stems.  You can repel the groundhogs by putting up a fence or by enclosing your garden with chicken wire fencing.  Use natural insecticide Pyrethin which is formulated with chrysanthemums to get rid of leafhoppers, "brown grasshopper".
4. Coreopsis will multiple the following spring.  Divide to prevent overcrowding.
5. This bright yellow flower that will bloom from early summer to fall.  
6. Butterflies are attracted to the coreopsis flower and will forage from the nectar.  
7. Coreopsis seedheads provide forage for songbirds in the fall.