Your 2026 Garden

[Sally PB]

Goldenrods (quite a few native types out there) are actually a cornerstone species. Very beneficial for pollinators.

I used to hate goldenrod. Then I got honeybees. They love goldenrod. Now I love it too.

It blooms when there aren't a lot of flowers available for honeybees (beekeepers call this time "a dearth"). I don't let it get started in the garden, but I'm happy to see it all over the field.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

This is me with coneflowers. Theyre very pretty and the pollinators love them but they literally choked out everything else in my flower beds they even killed a hosta which is impressive haha and they self seed so they get worse every year so I will be cutting LOTS of them this summer so I can try to get some diversity back in my beds haha

I have some purple coneflower seeds in cardboard pots now, so this is useful to know. I really need to look up which part(s) of the plant are supposed to be used for tea. If I can cut it back for that early enough I hope it will be less of an issue.

 

[jxp]

This is me with coneflowers. Theyre very pretty and the pollinators love them but they literally choked out everything else in my flower beds they even killed a hosta which is impressive haha and they self seed so they get worse every year so I will be cutting LOTS of them this summer so I can try to get some diversity back in my beds haha

That's odd. I've always known echinacia to like full sun and less moisture than shade loving hostas. Do you perhaps grow a different variety of coneflower than I'm used to?

 

[jxp]

This was about a week ago. The cherry tomato has little green tomatoes on it and it's doing great! The other three I'm about to toss. They're in a cage due to Stella the cat.
View attachment 4309671

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When I repotted to the ice cream buckets, I buried their stems as much as I could so it looked worse.

Are these the ones she helped thin and trim? They're looking good.

 

[jxp]

Speaking of bees, anyone have Mason bees? I found a couple of reed houses I had bought a couple years ago at the end of the growing season then put away and promptly forgot about 'em.

If you do have them, did you just put out the houses and make the conditions right to attract them or did you buy some bees to make sure you got them?

 

[FernwoodHollow]

That's odd. I've always known echinacia to like full sun and less moisture than shade loving hostas. Do you perhaps grow a different variety of coneflower than I'm used to?

Correct I think you misread what I said the coneflower grew so much that it killed the Hosta because it's in a full sun area abd kept spreading so thickly it choked out the rest of the flowers including the hosta. But ive also let it self seed for 8 years so its spread significantly lol

 

[FernwoodHollow]

I have some purple coneflower seeds in cardboard pots now, so this is useful to know. I really need to look up which part(s) of the plant are supposed to be used for tea. If I can cut it back for that early enough I hope it will be less of an issue.

It's self seeds and the pollinators love it so birds will take the seeds you'll notice it spread year after year unless you deadhead it at the end of the season or you cut them for cut flowers. They're very vigorous

 

[dirkandlorie]

https://survivalgardenseeds.com/pages/seed-planting-calendar-by-zipcode?

put in your zipcode, this is for mine

Oh what a bad influence you were on me!!!! I went to check out your seed calendar and ended up ordering 30.00 worth of seeds. Or maybe you were a good influence, they were all medicinal seeds so look at all the money ill save on doctors, lol. Either way, thank you posting that, never heard of that company before.

 

[FernwoodHollow]

I have some purple coneflower seeds in cardboard pots now, so this is useful to know. I really need to look up which part(s) of the plant are supposed to be used for tea. If I can cut it back for that early enough I hope it will be less of an issue.

The roots and flowers are what you make the tea from The Roots have stronger medicinal properties but the flowers tend to taste better so most people do a mix

 

[FernwoodHollow]

Oh my. I love those, and had none, so bought three when they were on clearance a few years ago. I hope I don't regret that!

I let mine self seed at their own free will for like 7 years for them to get to this point so if you tend to them even mildly they likely won't grow out of control LOL