Introduction
As the weather is beginning to become more consistent and the fear of an unknown cold front coming in is less and less, many people are starting to frequent various plant nurseries and are getting their best seed ready from the previous year. In the gardening world there tends to be two general archetypes of people within the hobby/lifestyle. Those people include those who are more focused on flower gardening and the more ornamental/aesthetically pleasing side of the plants, while the others are typically more interested in growing plants with a more direct function outside of the appearance of plants. I would argue that the majority of the people who garden tend to do a mix of both, but usually there is a clear distinction in which style they subscribe to.
I myself have always been more of a vegetable gardener. I try to get as much produce from the land that I can in an organic and non-conventional manor. Still, despite all my precaution I still run into the common issues such as tomato worms, squash bugs, etc. While observing and learning how to become a better more sustainable gardener without surrendering productivity and increasing the health of my garden I eventually learned through various permaculture concepts and information I consumed on YouTube and a few books that increasing biodiversity and mimicking a more natural environment would reduce the amount of plant damage and increase the soil health and more. I read about the benefits of interplanting flowers next to vegetable plants as a means to both promote pollinator traffic, while also masking the chemical scent of whatever plant is vulnerable to insect damage. I plan to implement this concept in my own garden with 6 different flowering species next to or along the perimeter of the garden. I plan to grow yarrow, purple coneflower, butterfly milkweed, black-eyed Susan, marigolds, and sunflowers and how they interact in the garden.
1. Yarrow
As the weather is beginning to become more consistent and the fear of an unknown cold front coming in is less and less, many people are starting to frequent various plant nurseries and are getting their best seed ready from the previous year. In the gardening world there tends to be two general archetypes of people within the hobby/lifestyle. Those people include those who are more focused on flower gardening and the more ornamental/aesthetically pleasing side of the plants, while the others are typically more interested in growing plants with a more direct function outside of the appearance of plants. I would argue that the majority of the people who garden tend to do a mix of both, but usually there is a clear distinction in which style they subscribe to.
I myself have always been more of a vegetable gardener. I try to get as much produce from the land that I can in an organic and non-conventional manor. Still, despite all my precaution I still run into the common issues such as tomato worms, squash bugs, etc. While observing and learning how to become a better more sustainable gardener without surrendering productivity and increasing the health of my garden I eventually learned through various permaculture concepts and information I consumed on YouTube and a few books that increasing biodiversity and mimicking a more natural environment would reduce the amount of plant damage and increase the soil health and more.
I read about the benefits of interplanting flowers next to vegetable plants as a means to both promote pollinator traffic, while also masking the chemical scent of whatever plant is vulnerable to insect damage. I plan to implement this concept in my own garden with 6 different flowering species next to or along the perimeter of the garden. I plan to grow yarrow, purple coneflower, butterfly milkweed, black-eyed Susan, marigolds, and sunflowers and how they interact in the garden.
Photo by Eva Bronzini
2. Purple Coneflower
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a diverse perennial wildflower native to Eastern, Southeast, central Midwest in the United States, and into Canada. The plant is also in the Asteraceae and is related to 9 other species within the same Echinacea family. Typically you can find this plant in forest openings and prairie grasslands. The plant produces a pinecone like seed head and a bright purple assemblage of petals. The cone is pollinated by bees and butterflies of various different species. Many of the pollinators are native. The increased occurrence of insects usually brings birds to the space as they tend to eat them. Some animals and insects are noted to eat the leaves of the plant during the early stages of its life.
Much like yarrow, many tribal people also used this plant and others in its genus were used for many different herbal remedies to reduce pain for things such as snake bites and tooth aches. It was also used as to help reduce the effects of bacterial infections like colds or other ailments. It is currently being researched for its wide array of functions and potential benefits to us.
3. Butterfly Milkweed
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa L.) is a perennial wildflower native to most states across the lower 48 within the United States. It is part of the Asclepiadaceae family which is named after the Greek god of medicine Asklepios. It can be found in fields and meadows across the country. The plant has course leaves and a bright orange cluster of flowers. Tribal people used this plant’s dried stems for their fibrous material as to weave rope and fabric, as well as its use of dried leaves when mixed with skunk cabbage to create a tea that helps relieve respiratory inflammation.
The plant is pollinated by bees, wasps. Butterflies rely on the plant for their young. I hope to see more insect diversity with the milkweed and will be sure to try and identify any species of bees I see with my identification book, The Bees In Your Backyard: A Guide To North America’s Bees , by Joseph Wilson and Olivia Carril. The book is a great resource to those who wish to broaden their relationship with pollinators and branch away from the European honeybee bias when it comes to the public perspective of “saving the bees”.
4. Black-Eyed Susan
Photo by Olga Divnaya
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is another wildflower that is native to Eastern and Central North America and like almost all of the plants I am writing about is native to the central Midwest. The plant also has relatively course leaves and produces a similar, but different brown cone like seed head similar to that of the purple coneflower, but this time instead of purple petals it has a nice golden yellow petal. Indigenous people supposedly used the roots for similar treatments that the purple coneflower was used for which I find funny as they have similar morphological characteristics. This plant is commonly planted in the garden as to attract butterflies and other pollinators.
5. Marigolds
Marigolds (Tagetes) are a change of pace for this blog entry. This is the first plant I have mentioned that is not a perennial wildflower, though they are native to Mexico. There are a few species of perennial marigold, but they grow in zones 9 and above. I currently live in a zone 6 range, so I will have to be content with the annual variety. Marigolds are one of the most common types of flowers you see at gardening centers. They are very colorful and fragrant; typically you will see huge isles designated just for this one plant. Since they are so sought after, they come in so many different colors patterns between yellow, orange, and red as to appeal to the consumer(s). The marigold species/varieties have been planted next to nightshade vegetables such as eggplant, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes as to both hide the smell of the tomato plant from pests, and protect the root systems from nematodes and other bacterial infections due to their antimicrobial properties.
6. Sunflowers
Sunflowers (Helianthu), also part of the Asteraceae family, are another annual plant that I am growing alongside my three sister’s plot this growing season. The sunflower plant is native to North America and Central America. There are also a few perennial varieties of sunflowers, though they are noted to be relatively aggressive in the garden and will slowly take over. Everyone knows what a sunflower looks like, but it is important to note that not all sunflowers are created equally.
There are definitely some varieties of sunflower that are more suited for cultivation if growing as a source of food/feed or seed oil production. This year I plant on growing some old black oil sunflower seeds I had left over from my little adventure into microgreen growing indoors. I could never get my sunflower microgreens to grow to the ideal size. Typically I ran into the same issue over and over again, but only with the sunflower seeds. The reasoning behind the sunflower seeds in the garden is to generate more biomass, attract even more pollinators, and potentially keep the birds or raccoons from messing with my potential corn harvest! We will see how that venture goes though.
Conclusion
I hope after reading about how cool some of these plants are. I can’t believe it took me going to college to truly understand the true function and beauty of some of these native plants. I am thankful to have a space to grow them and the money and support from my family to introduce them as permanent pieces within some of our backyard landscaping. It is hard to sell the idea that native perennials can be just as, if not, more beautiful and are better for us and the soil long term to those who do not have an understanding as to what we can offer the plants and what the plants can offer us. It is the slow bride that we must build in every aspect of our lives as the world begins to tilt in a more chaotic and unpredictable light due to climate change and the Anthropocene. I encourage all of you to try and pick 1-3 perennial wildflowers for your own garden, whether it is in buckets or in a 40 acre lot and see if you notice a difference in who is visiting your garden.