A Weed By Any Other Name is Just a Beautiful Wildflower!

Feelings of chagrin never enter my mind as I try to cultivate some of the most beautiful perennial weeds, which I call wildflowers. 

This one, called "Fireweed" is one of the most beautiful wildflowers in my opinion, especially when you see them growing in mass in mountain meadows or areas that have been cleared or burned in forest fire.   It's one of my favorites and I am slowly getting a field of them along the back fence line.  This year some of them have reached almost 6 feet and could get to 8 feet.   Fireweed forms cottony seeds (like cottonwood seeds only smaller and lighter) in little seed pods that are spread by the wind.  Blow where you will my little fireweed friends.

Now the "Feverfew" plant is often thought of as being an invasive weed to the garden, but it is actually a species of chrysanthemum that has been grown in herb and medicinal gardens for centuries, and even harvested from the sides of roads.  Herbalists would use feverefew for headaches, arthritis, and yes, for fevers.  The plant self-seeds so if you deadhead you can control the spread, but I have a fair number of plants and I don't mind where they pop up because they add a splash of brightness to every garden,

headaches, arthritis, and as the name implies, fever.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Feverfew Herb In The Garden http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/feverfew/growing-feverfew-herb.htm

headaches, arthritis, and as the name implies, fever.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Feverfew Herb In The Garden http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/feverfew/growing-feverfew-herb.htm

My other favorite is Milkweed.  Also known as butterfly weed  this wildflower is a butterfly magnet, attracting many kinds of butterflies to its blooms which are filled with nectar.  The hummers like them too.  There are many kinds of milkweed, and many different colours.  Mine is the common Milkweed and a favorite for Monarch butterflies

My dream is to have a wildflower meadow in the back instead of all grass, or at least as a back drop between the grass, the pond and the back trail.  There would be nothing to do but enjoy the flowers.  There would be more birds, bees and butterflies in my wildflower meadow and it would simply be a "window" into  nature.  I'm getting there slowly, as I try to convince Chris to like the idea.