This week, one section of my native plant garden went in. I focused on wildflowers that will feed birds, bees and butterflies. In one corner are nursery grown plants, three red columbines (Aquilegia canadensis “Little Lanterns”) and three golden alexanders (Zizia aurea). The golden alexanders are a straight native, purchased by mail from Prairie Moon Nursery, one of several that can be relied on to provide true native species, unchanged by the efforts of plant breeders. In addition to attracting bees and butterflies with yellow spring blooms, golden alexanders is also a host plant for the black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes).

The “Little Lanterns” columbines are a cultivar of a native plant bred to be shorter, about a foot in height, than the straight native which is normally two to three feet tall. My preference, when planting for birds, bees and butterflies, is to plant straight natives rather than cultivars, because these are what our native pollinators evolved with. The nectar of some cultivars may be less abundant or nutritious than that of straight natives. For example, a plant that uses a lot of its energy for producing extra-large flowers may skimp on the nectar. But my husband and I like to support our favorite locally owned garden store (which is trying hard to source more natives), and the “Little Lanterns” were irresistibly pretty. It’s my guess that a shortened stature may not cost a plant as much energy as producing bigger flowers would, so I’m hoping this particular cultivar will be as good for bumblebees and hummingbirds as a straight native.

The other plants in this new wildflower bed, are such tiny seedlings they’re hard to see without getting down on your hands and knees. I marked where I planted what with twigs (that some pesky squirrels disturbed overnight). Since some seedlings were outgrowing the recycled berry boxes they sprouted in, they needed to be planted out before they bumped against the lids. If left open, chipmunks and squirrels will dig in the soft seed-starting soil in the boxes.

At the front of the bed, along the log bordering what was once a raised bed for vegetables, I’ve planted butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Although it’s unlikely to bloom the first year from seed, when it does bloom, the flowers will be bright orange and attract a wide variety of bees and butterflies. In or out of flower, this is one of our native milkweeds that can host monarch butterfly caterpillars.

At the right-hand corner of the bed, I’ve planted cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). This will send up bright red flower spikes two to four feet tall in summer, about the same time as the butterfly weed blooms. The two flowers should look stunning together. I’ve also tucked some cardinal flower next to the columbines which will have faded by summer. Hummingbirds are especially attracted to red flowers, and I’m hoping they will visit.

Behind the butterfly weed and cardinal flower, I’ve planted a swath of New York asters (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii), also known as Michaelmas daisies for their fall blooming habit. I love their intense color, a pale but rich bluish lavender. So, it seems, do the bees and butterflies, including some of our at-risk bumblebees, miner bees and leaf-cutter bees. Unlike honeybees, our native bees are not aggressive and won’t sting except in extreme circumstances (don’t step on one with your bare foot). I’m especially fond of bumblebees, the teddy bears of the insect world—but we need all of our native bees to keep our ecosystem functioning in a healthy way.

At the back of the bed, a traditional place for the tallest plants, I’ve planted tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris). This yellow wildflower with dark brown centers will bloom the first year from seed, starting in summer and continuing into fall. It can reach as much as seven to nine feet, though not usually in a garden setting. I’m guessing that in the wild, with native grasses and other tall wildflowers crowding it, the plant stretches upward for its share of the light. Like the other flowers in the bed, it will attract bees and butterflies. In the fall when its seeds ripen, songbirds will eat them.

Finally, on either side of the coreopsis at the back of the bed, I’ve left room for some swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). At three to five feet, it’s taller than its butterfly weed cousin and can also host monarch caterpillars. The nectar in its pink flowers is similarly appealing to bees and butterflies. From reports I’ve read, this plant can sometimes bloom the first year from seed.

The design for this section of the wildflower garden puts the taller plants at the back, except for small groups of cardinal flower that will spike upward like exclamation points. Except for the columbines and golden alexanders, these are summer blooming plants, most of which will continue into the fall to provide nectar for bees and butterflies at the end of the season when they need continued sustenance. Early spring bloomers like Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are in a shadier bed behind this one. To please the eyes of us human beings, the focus in this sunnier bed is on bright colors—oranges, reds and yellows that will stand out all the more against a mass of pale blue of the New York asters.

Will these plants grow and bloom fast enough for the Impatient Gardener? Probably not, but I’m sure that by summer’s end I’ll be as happy with them as I was when my wintersown seedlings finally poked their heads above the soil. And a year or two from now, when they are all full sized and blooming in sequence—well, that will be a year of delights.

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