For the last couple weeks one of my favorites has been blooming—the cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis. It is a shocking shade of red and appears in wet, sunny meadows along the creek.
The garden is also full of flowers. Some are companion plants meant to attract beneficial insects (pollinators or insectivores) or repel the ones that we compete with for our food. They also add beauty to the garden and, as in the case of sunflowers, provide food for birds. The garden is producing wildly right now. Zucchini, anyone?