Phlox is perhaps one of the most common garden flowers in the Catskills. We are most familiar with tall garden phlox, Phlox paniculata, and it is in its glory blooming right now in our area. It is loved, despite its susceptibility to deer and powdery mildew, for its often fragrant,…
Black-eyed Susans are blooming throughout the Catskills right now. Many of the wildflowers I have posted on recently are originally from Europe but have naturalized to become a significant component of the local Catskills vegetation. Not Black-Eyed Susans! Black-Eyed Susans are North American natives with about 24 good species.…
Beloved for its bright red flowers, the Bee Balm, known to botanists as Monarda didyma, has been blooming for several weeks in the Catskills region. This perennial species of Monarda is often found growing wild, and is also popular in the garden. It is a truly native wildflower and is…
This week, Yarrow, a common wildflower that is also popular in the garden is blooming throughout the Catskills region. Most of our woods wildflowers are native, part of the local vegetation before European settlement. Many of the wildflowers of Catskills fields and roadsides, however, were introduced to the region by…
This weekend my mother came to visit, so in order to spend more time with her, I am republishing a post from 2012, which I think many may find informative and appropriate for the season. Summer is now in full gear here in Delaware County. Most trees and shrubs such…
Blooming throughout the Catskills right now is the Oxeye Daisy, a wildflower of fields, roadsides and other open areas. Known to botanists as Leucanthemum vulgare, it is actually a native of Europe, but has become naturalized here so that it is now a common and conspicuous component of the local…
Previously, I discussed the Lupin, a popular garden flower, which is a member of the Legume family of plants. I also mentioned the important crops that this plant family provides for human consumption and animal feed. Legumes also have a very significant role in improving the quality of soil. An…
In gardens throughout the Catskills, the lupins are blooming. Their showy spikes of flowers stand up above the foliage, and create bright spots of color at this time of year. There about 200 species of Lupin, found mostly in the Americas with a few other species clustered around the Mediterranean…
Last week I posted a blog about some garden flowers in the Dianthus family, known to botanists as Caryophyllaceae. I discussed several garden flowers in the genus Dianthus, a group of species within the Dianthus family. This week, I will discuss some other Dianthus family plants closely related to the…
Starting to bloom right now in Catskills gardens are the flowers known commonly as Pinks, but also known by their scientific name Dianthus. They are part of a large group of flowers, annuals, biennials and perennials, in the family Caryophyllaceae, with many garden and wild representatives of interest to the…
