Labour Day has come and gone, which must mean that summer is over. But the wildflowers blooming so exuberantly in the fields around Glen Villa, my garden in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, say that isn’t so.
Joe Pye weed has taken over an unused field… and every year I thank it for doing moving in.
Ok, perhaps that’s wishful thinking. The Joe Pye weed that was so gorgeous a few weeks ago is faded now, and while that has its own style of beautiful, it does mean that autumn is almost here.
The brown tones of Joe Pye’s seed heads are a bit depressing. Do you agree?
Other wildflowers are still going strong. Golden rod, of course.
White asters …
… and purple ones.
Queen Anne’s lace is everywhere, gorgeous in full bloom,
and intriguing before it opens, when it is a curled up promise.
I’m delighted to seeTurtlehead (Chelone glabra) return to our fields. It was growing abundantly a few years ago and then disappeared.
But whether on their own or in mixed groups, a display of wildflowers outshines my best attempts at garden design.
As invasive as they are, I even like Canadian thistles.
Must be my prickly nature!
I’m now scheduling talks for the up-coming year. You can check out the list of topics on my website or get in touch directly to inquire about other topics, dates and details.
I love all of these wildflowers and the sense of wildness that they bring to meadows, even the naturalized ones like Queen Anne’s lace. Our conversion of much of our mowed area to “meadow” here in Quebec has been quite pleasing so far — lots of great plants from asters to pussytoes have appeared!
Thanks for sharing the great photos of your wildflowers — I’m sure the meadows look spectacular.
It’s hard to believe that some people still consider wildflowers ‘weeds.’ I don’t have any Pussytoes (Antennaria?) but it is a great ground cover. Or maybe I do have it and haven’t paid attention… always possible.
Have the leaves started to change?
A few, in a few spots, but still mostly green.
I think most of the blooms in our garden would qualify as wildflowers. Queen Anne’s Lace can be delightful in a meadow, don’t think I would grow it in a garden. I do think that many flowers are still running a week or two late. Our New England Asters are just beginning to open.
I agree, Jason. Everything is running later than usual this year… a cold, wet start to the season. I’m disappointed by my tomatoes, not nearly as many as usual, so less sauce for the winter.