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BLOGGER OFFERS TIP REGARDING GOLDFINCHES FEEDING AT ZINNIA BLOSSOMS
A few summers ago, I posted a blog concerning how American goldfinches tore zinnia seed heads apart trying to get to the seeds they contain.
Recently, in response to this posting, a blogger named Erin posted a possible method that allows goldfinches to eat zinnias seeds without destroying all of the blossoms growing in containers placed on decks. I thought that anyone experiencing a similar situation might benefit from it too.

Erin wrote, “Try overplanting your zinnias so there is enough for them to feast on before they get to your deck. Try planting a border of them near your deck as a “trap” so they will stop before they get to your deck. Farmers apply this method to their crops as pest control; it can be pretty effective.”
If you would like to read my original blog, go to the Search Bubble on the right of your screen and type in GOLDFINCHES ARE ATTACKING ZINNIA BLOSSOMS. Press the return key and the blog should pop up.
NURSERY SELLS NATIVE PLANTS & MORE
For quite some time now, I have been letting you know when somebody recommends a nursery that deals in native plants. Here is a new one.
At this year’s Fantasy of Flowers staged by the Fort Valley Garden Club, I met the folks that run Everyday Farm and Garden (Josh and Nikki Perry). They were one of the vendors at this year’s event. They were selling a variety of ornamental and wild plants. They also sell plants that they say are neonicotinoid-free. As you know there are not enough folks that can boast that their plants are free of these systemic pesticides. This is great news for wild pollinators and other backyard neighbors.
Here is the contact information for this retailer:
Everyday Farm & Garden
1028 Macon Road,
Perry, Georgia 31069
Telephone numbers:
478-256-2045 and 478-338-2821
BLOGGER SHARES HER EXPERTISE WITH HEAL-ALL
My recent post concerning trying to grow heal-all in containers prompted one of our fellow bloggers, Margaret Molyson, to share her more extensive experiences with this wonderful plant. I was so impressed with her comments; I felt that they should be shared with all of you.
Margaret wrote, “I love the heal-all plant but have found it somewhat quirky to establish. I saved seeds from two plants growing in part of our yard that did not get mowed. The following year I grew them, then planted the seedlings outside; they bloomed the first year! I loved them. Once again, collecting some, but not all, of the seeds. I did the same process again but planted the seedlings in another area. They did wonderfully there last summer. Now, there are no plants in the original place where they were planted, the second area planted is about half, but the walkway, which is wood chips, next to both plantings is loaded with plants! It might not be able to compete with other plants well.”
Margaret, I cannot thank you enough for sharing your experiences with all of us!
HEAL-ALL IS DOING WELL GROWING IN A CONTAINER
One of my favorite spring flowers is heal-all (Prunella vulgaris). Over the years, whenever I have participated in the Annual Spring Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge/Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area Butterfly Count my count team always find butterflies nectaring on this stunning wild plant.
Two years ago, I rescued a few plants from a spot that stood the chance of soon being destroyed by a bulldozer. I rescued a few of these plants and my wife planted them in a large container. Under her skillful care, the plants survived and flourished.
The next year the plants sprouted and grew far larger than they had been the previous year. In fact, they spread and filled the container. To top it all off, they bloomed creating an incredibly beautiful bouquet of light lavender blossoms. The flowers also attracted butterflies.
When the flowers and plants eventually withered during the summer, she scattered seed she had collected from these plants and scattered them in another container.
This spring heal-all plants reappeared in the original container. In addition, the seeds sown in the second container sprouted. Those plants are rapidly growing. We hope that they will bloom this year. Meanwhile, some of the plants growing in the original container are already beginning to bloom.
It does appear that heal-all is one of the many wild plants that thrives in containers. By growing them in pots, my wife and I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the plants themselves, as well as the butterflies, and other pollenators that visit them. This would have been much more difficult if we had to rely on occasional observations made when stumbling across heal-all in the wild.
Our next experiment is to see if we can establish a stand of heal-all on our property. I hope I will be able to report the success of our efforts next spring.
For more information on this fascinating plant, go to the search engine bubble on the right side of the blog page and type in Heal-All. Immediately the blog I wrote concerning this plant will immediately appear.
WEIGELA – AN ATTRACTIVE SHRUB FOR HUMMINGBIRD FANS
If you are searching for an attractive shrub that attracts hummingbirds, you should give serious thought to buying a weigela (Weigela x Florida); it produces a crop of long-lasting, red, trumpet-shaped blooms. The blossoms grow singly and in clusters.
The shrub’s blooming period extends from late spring into summer.
This shrub is capable of becoming 6 to 8 feet tall and 9 to 12 feet wide. However, none of the weigelas my wife and I have grown in our Middle Georgia yard has ever grown that large.
The only weigela we have planted also goes by the name Old Fashioned Weigela. This variety bears red flowers. A dozen or more different varieties of weigela are on the market. While they may attract hummingbirds, I personally cannot vouch for them.
Weigela produces the most flowers when planted in full sun, however, it also grows in partial shade. Once this shrub is established, it is quite drought-tolerant.
If you have a problem with deer pruning your plants, you will be pleased to know that weigela is not high on the white-tailed deer’s list of preferred browse plants.