Table of Contents
- Shannon’s Note
- Native Plant Spotlight
- Upcoming Events and Sales
- Selection Guide
- Workshop Waitlist
- Backyard Ecology Resources
- Subscribe to Newsletter
Shannon’s Note
The end of August and beginning of September marks the transition from summer to fall. As I’m writing this, it doesn’t quite feel like “almost fall” – I think yesterday we had a record high temperature for that date – but just because it doesn’t feel like it, doesn’t mean we aren’t beginning to progress into the fall season. I can see the signs all around me.
One of those signs, is the increasing number of female and immature hummingbirds visiting the flowering plants in the nursery and around our home. The males have already started their migration south, and the females and immatures are getting ready to migrate. Some of them may have already begun their journeys. The birds I see zipping through my yard might be ones that were here all summer or could be birds that spent their summer in southern Indiana or Illinois. There’s no way to be sure.
We’re also seeing more monarch and cloudless sulphur butterflies now – both of which are migratory butterflies. Some of the migratory fall warblers are also starting to show up. Not to mention, the dawn chorus doesn’t have nearly the number or variety of voices compared to earlier this summer when everyone was maintaining breeding territories. As we move further into fall, there’ll be lots more migrating species of birds and insects passing through.
Fall is also the very best season for planting native perennial wildflowers, grasses, vines, trees, and shrubs. I have a new large bed that I am creating in our backyard and hope to start planting once the temperatures cool off a bit more – hopefully in the next couple of weeks, although I have a bit more prep work to do before I can start planting.
Numerous research projects have shown that having a wide diversity of native plants blooming throughout the growing season is the best way to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, songbirds, fireflies, and all kinds of other pollinators and wildlife to your property. If you’re interested in learning more about native plants that attract hummingbirds, then check out the Backyard Ecology™ resources listed below.
Our next native plant sale is on Saturday, September 7 at the Community Farmers Market in Bowling Green. Coincidentally, that’s also National Hummingbird Day. Details about it and our other upcoming events can be found below.
Native Plant Spotlight
Do you love hummingbirds? Cardinal flower is an absolute hummingbird magnet with its bright red spikes of flowers. Sulphur butterflies and others also commonly visit the flowers, and it is a host plant to several species of caterpillars. This summer, we frequently watched wrens and cardinals hunting through the cardinal flowers for big green caterpillars. Cardinal flower can also be grown in well-watered containers, if you don’t have a moist place on your property.
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Height: 1 to 6 feet (usually 2 to 3 feet)
Blooms: July to September
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Soil moisture: Medium to wet
Provides food for:
- Hummingbirds (flowers, insects)
- Native bees (flowers)
- Butterflies (flowers)
- Caterpillars (foliage)
- Songbirds (caterpillars and other insects)
Upcoming Sales and Events
Native Plant Sales
We have 3 native plant sales scheduled for September. A list of everything that we will have available will be added to the event listing 1-2 weeks before the event. We will be taking pre-orders for all of our upcoming events and the updated event listing will include information on how to place an order.
If you are interested in native plants and can’t make one of the scheduled events, feel free to contact us and ask if we can meet you on different date. If we can find a mutually convenient time and place to meet in Glasgow or Bowling Green, then we are happy to do so.
Educational Events
Right Plant, Right Place Selection Guide
If you would like some guidance when picking the right plants from our nursery for you, then we’ve got you covered with the Right Plant, Right Place Selection Guide. We developed the Right Plant, Right Place Selection Guide to help you sort through the species we are growing and find the ones that will work best in your location.
Workshop Waitlists
We are making plans for an invasive species workshop and another Native Plants 101 Workshop. Join the waitlists to be among the first to find out about the relevant workshop(s) and receive super early bird registration pricing.
Backyard Ecology™ Resources
Did you know that Anthony and I produce a variety of free educational resources every week to help and encourage you as you grow native plants, create miniature ecosystems on your property, and attract pollinators and wildlife? Below are some of our free resources that you might enjoy.
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Busy Bee Nursery and Consulting
Helping you create the pollinator and wildlife habitat of your dreams, so you can enjoy your land and care for the plants and animals that also call your property home.