Late summer

The outside temperatures have been in the 90's for the past several days, but that doesn't stop the late summer flowers from strutting their stuff.

White snakeroot, Eupatorium rugosum, planted itself in the back yard next to the false sunflower, Helianthus helianthoides, as goldenrod, Solidago rugosum, tried to sneak up through the back. In this part of the garden, these natives attract bees in the early afternoon, but at no other time of day.

The asters starting blooming today. I moved them to their current spot last February and they are thriving, although rabbits nibble on them constantly.

I planted red pentas for the first time this year because I read that they attracted hummingbirds and butterflies. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. Still, they look great next to our native Solidago rugosum "Fireworks," a pollinator magnet.

The green headed coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata, blooms in fairly heavy shade. It is a native, and I would love to buy more, but I only find seeds for sale. I have no luck with seeds.

The abundance of late summer in a backyard wildlife habitat.