Much of the mallow has come and gone. You have seen them along the ponds and other water areas on the island – the huge pink flowers that are in the hibiscus family. Believe it or not, it is a native plant – I have written about it before as we have a wonderful stand of it on Vestal Street in the Observatory garden.
Now, I have spied some cardinal flower that has opened and defied the onslaught of
rabbits – despite the double bunny fence. It’s a bit hidden among the leaves but I caught its scarlet – or cardinal – red the other day and that glimpse made me very happy.
And now, the elderberry has turned from flowers to beautiful deep purple-black berries. I won’t be utilizing these – I will leave them for the birds (robins have eaten most by this posting) who will snack on them. And soon, the inkberries will be ready as I see little green inkberries on the shrubs we have around the MMA. So much of our landscape is native, a food source for animals (and people to some extent), and makes our pollinators happy and keeps them well-fed like the monarchs who are beginning their journeys.
JNLF
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