The Milkweed seed pod opening

The Milkweed is now seeding as seen here. I love these in the garden. It is a nice plant and easy to control in the garden setting. The main reason I have them is due to the Monarch Butterfly. They need this plant for the young as it is the only thing they eat. I think these are rather dreamy looking when they bursting open

another close up of the same pod.

I managed to get this one as a gust of wind just grabed hold of it

and finally here is one with the wind just catching it and started moving the seeds clear of the pod.

The Milk-weed

Asclpias syriaca (Milkweed). It is a lovely plant in the garden and it is wild. However I grow it in order to help the Monarch Butter-fly

A close up of the Milkweed. Even if you let a few grow in the garden it does help. It is very easy to weed out or just dead head the flowers.

Milkweed is a common folk remedy used for removing warts. Milkweed sap is applied directly to the wart several times daily until the wart falls off. Dandelions sap is often used in the same manner.

Milkweed is beneficial to nearby plants, repelling some pests, especially wire-warms.

WARNINGS

Milkweed also contains cardiac glycoside poisons which inhibit animal cells from maintaining a proper K⁺, Ca⁺ concentration gradient. As a result many natives of South America and Africa used arrows poisoned with these glycosides to fight and hunt more effectively. Milkweed is toxic and may cause death when animals consume 1/10 its body weight in any part of the plant. Milkweed also causes mild dermatitis in some who come in contact with it.

Milkweed sap is also externally used as a natural remedy for Poison Ivy.

why you should grow it
Being the sole food source of Monarch Butter-fly larva, the plant is often used in Butter-fly Gardening

"What a tangled web we weave..."

Here is a small portion of a part of the garden taken in the Fall. I will just let the picture do all the talking here!!!!. All said it is a haven for plants, insects, animals, and birds. This is how I get so many pictures of a wide variety of subjects. This style really is a love it or hate it. But I do not do this for people at any rate. I do it for God's other creations.

Moody Blue

Iris virginica shrevei :, Blue Flag Iris
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/blueflag.htm

These are great plants to have in the fish pond area. In spring they are incredible with their bright blue flowers and tall slender leaves. After they flower the leaves stay nearly perfect for the year. They really do add a realistic look to a Man Made Garden Pond. Do not be afraid to kind of over use it. I have some in pails in the waters as well. They should not be completely submerged. However you can submerge them maybe an inch at most . Your fish will lay eggs in the pail as well if they can, which is really cool. Add a rock or two to the top to make them bottom heavy. Otherwise first good wind and they are toppled over. If you like, add other small water pond plants in the pail with them. it adds extra interest. In time Moss will grow over the soil and give it an unique look.

Hint Here: When planting out side the pond remember that the soil is dry, they like wet. To fix it just throw a bucket of water on them a couple times a week. Another hint for general pot planting in the pond is never use bricks. They will disintegrate in the water with in a few years. Use rocks, they are more interesting anyway. Also make sure there is a hole in the pail. This to insure water can get in if the water level becomes low in the pond.

Friends

:, Brown Eyed Susan  /  Echinacea purpurea:, Purple Cone Flower
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudbeckia_hirta

I just love this picture in a fun way. These two flowers just reminds me of two best friends, lovers, sole mates,  or even a comforting moment. Funny how we can put Human feelings to such things.
Back to the real world the Rubeckia is a relative of the Sun-flower. They are excellent as a mass planting in a large garden. just give them their own space and they are fine. The same can be said of the Echinacea. What is even nicer is planting them together. I will post one like that in the future

Natural Beauty : this one is for you Terry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea

The Heart of a Purple Cone Flower

Echinacea purpea,  Purple Cone Flower

This was taken with a Macro Lens on a Canon EOS XT 10 meg digital . The interiors of some flowers are just incredible. I have better shots, but it is about finding them on one of a number of disks I have.I will replace this one when I find it. Starting this blog thing made me realize I need to go threw everything and start naming pictures instead of the camera pic number that most things are

a wild day lily, or ditch lily

Hermerocallis cingulata

These are great plants and forget it once planted, a real no fuss plant and really takes care of those bald areas in the garden. They are messy looking in late summer but easy to clean up

near the pond

Echinacea purpea, and Rubdecea triloba

an area near the pond to which I never weed or interfere with. Saves a huge amount of work and looks so much better.

Scotch Thistle

Onopordum acanthium
scotch thistle. This plant reached 3 meters in hight. It was huge the biggest I had ever seen. it came up threw a juniper hedge along side the house