Once Upon a Wildflower Garden

This spring Grenville decided to plant a wildflower meadow for the hummingbirds and butterflies.

Veggies were grown here a couple of seasons ago, but we downsized the garden. And with the help of his friend, John Deere, Grenville cleared the area, sowed LOTS of wildflower seeds, and covered it with chips from the tree cut down in the front yard last fall

And then the waiting started.

Unlike this past week, when it hasn’t stopped raining, there as a scarcity of rainfall this spring. Growing in the meadow started s-l-o-w-l-y.

By mid-July, blooms were everywhere.

Like in other parts of the country, summer was hot, humid and very dry on the VA eastern shore. There were lots of 90-degree days with heat indices near or over 100 degrees, but scarce rainfall.

Watering was reserved for the vegetable gardens. The wildflowers were left on their own, but survived – too well – they grew and kept growing.

These photos were taken late today. The coreopsis are well over 8 feet high and still blooming. No butterflies have been seen in recent days.

Soon we’ll cut it down and mulch everything back in, including most of the seed pods, which means there may be an even BIGGER meadow next season.

Even though they are past their prime blooms, the wildflowers are still beautiful. Some hang on to their color till the last petal has dropped.

Summer gathers up her robes of glory,
And, like a dream, glides away.
Sarah Helen Whitman