Last weekend’s heavy rain and thunderstorms were badly needed to help gardens, trees and shrubs prepare for winter. The downside is that the rain knocked off most of the blossoms on garden phlox, helenium, Russian sage, hosta and other flowering plants. A few species continue to bloom in small numbers providing nectar for native bees and honey bees. Here’s a sample of what’s still blooming in our garden in St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 11:
Japanese toad lily (Tricyrtis ‘Tojen’).
(Aster novii-belgi) with green metallic bee.
Dwarf wood asters (Aster novi-belgii ‘Woods pink’).
Thin-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba) is a native wildflower that appeared under our ash tree a few summers ago. The tree is a favorite perch for birds and gray squirrels, which must have either dropped or excreted the seeds.
The yellow blooms of (Chrysanthemum rubellum) ‘Mary Stoker’ will develop pink highlights as they age.
Purple morning glories last all day in the gentler autumn sunlight.
A few hyacinth beans (Dolichos lablab) continue to blossom.
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicafolia) with Rosa ‘Henry Kelsey’ (Canadian Explorer series) in the background.
Native goldenrod brightens up our autumn garden.
