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| Photo by author |
One of the first things I planted was echinacea, which were being sold as a medicinal herb that spring. These perennial lovelies grow to about four feet tall and bloom prolifically from early summer until the first freeze in autumn.
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| Photo by author |
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| Photo by author |
In addition to their summer-long beauty, they are a total bee magnet. From early morning until evening, my beds are abuzz with so many types of bees. There are bumblebees, honeybees, green bees, black bees, big bees, little bees. Each morning, when I am on Japanese beetle patrol, the bees blithely ignore me, harvest pollen and pollinate industriously. If I am out early enough in the morning, I will often spot bees snoozing in the flowers.
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| Photo by author |
I have added other perennials in the last three years, as well as snapdragons and marigolds, which self-sow prolifically. I plant tomatoes every other year in one of the front (west-facing) beds and they produce well. I am sure my busy friends are helping with the bounty.
