I do sit on the deck occasionally and contemplate what to do next - next week, next month, next year. One thing I had not realized is that rudbeckia spreads, so it is shouldering out the coneflower I planted with it in one bed. One possible solution is to move the coneflower to one of the remaining raised beds and transplant some of the rudbeckia into the "meadow" where it can spread to its heart's content. That's assuming I am going to have a meadow and not just more lawn.
The penstemon that I planted in a container several years ago looks fine, but it did not bloom this year. I'm guessing it needs to be transplanted, too, maybe into the same bed as the coneflower. (It's a big bed.) The penstemon I planted in a container this year is not happy, perhaps because the English thyme that cohabits in the same container is too much competition.
For some reason, the fleabane is nearly non-existant this year. Some consider it a weed, but I like it because it blooms most of the season and from a distance looks like baby's breath. Here is another fan of fleabane.
When I see goldfinches in the cup plant, I'm reminded of a presentation I attended several years ago about bower birds. The speaker suggested that birds are attracted to food that matches their color: bluebirds to blue fruit, robins to red/orange fruit, goldfinches to yellow flowers, etc. Of course, this is not 100% accurate - the goldfinches *love* coneflower seeds and robins eat purple pokeweed berries - but it's a fun observation.
There are a lot more pollinators in my yard this year. Not sure why - maybe those who usually treat their yards with pesticides are skipping this year? - but I appreciate seeing all the activity.
I can't tell if this little bee has yellow wings or if those are his pollen sacs.
While the volunteer sunflowers are blooming like crazy, the Russian Giants have yet to form heads. The Mexican sunflower is not particularly bloomy, either. No idea why.
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