July was a hot month in Connecticut. In the Spring, we set up our first hummingbird/butterfly garden. If you follow us on Instagram –@plant_parenthood_ig – you may have noticed we’ve got a lot of flowers in bloom this month. Here are a few highlights from July.
“Dancing Bird” bee balm. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to red, so we planted a lot of reds in our garden. It’s a newer variety and only gets about 2’tall. Most bee balms spread easily and bloom for a while. It just started to bloom, so hopefully we’ll see more hummingbirds!
Cinderella Swamp Milkweed. This milkweed is attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Everyday I see butterflies, like below, and bees gathering nectar on it.
“Summerific” berry hibiscus. We’ve planted a few bushes throughout the property and their blooms are huge! They have huge 8” flowers and grows only about 4’ tall and 5’ wide. These grow well in moist soil. Perfect for us, as we have wetlands around the house.
Little Gem Magnolia Tree. Our two magnolia trees are continuing blossom. They are only about 5 feet tall now, but they have huge flowers already. Little Gem Magnolia trees can grow to about 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide. We purchased this species for its big blooms and strong sweet, lemony fragrance. You can even smell its scent in the air when you walk by. The leaves are a nice shiny waxy leaf with a cool brown/beige velvet underneath. You can use the leaves as winter cuttings. Little Gem Magnolias can tolerate down to zone 6.
Other plants in bloom, not shown are alliums, catmint, and a variety of roses.
Happy gardening! Oh, and don’t forget to water your plants, especially if they are newly planted.