| Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) were mostly overlooked wildflowers until the last few decades, when they have gained significant popularity because of their association with Monarch butterflies. Milkweeds are vital to the Monarch butterfly life cycle, and adding the flowers to landscapes and gardens supports butterflies and other pollinators. |  |
 Early spring in the Midwest often brings fluctuating temperatures that challenge many species of plants and the gardeners who tend them. Warm days fool plants into breaking dormancy, but the new growth is damaged when temperatures drop again. Gardeners use everything from frost blankets to heated structures to protect plants, but plant selection is often overlooked as a method of minimizing weather-related damage to plants. Native species are adapted to typical weather fluctuations and in many situations are better options than nonnative species.
 Research shows that looking at flowers influences peoples' moods and makes them happier. An easy way to get more flowers in your life is to plant them in your landscape or in containers on a porch or patio where they can easily be viewed.
Annual flowers bloom all season but only live one year. Perennial flowers live many years but only bloom for a portion of the year. One way to get season-long color with perennials is to interplant a mix of species that bloom at different times. |