The Sierra Club sent this to us in the mail last week asking for our money. This packet makes no claims to be a wildflower mix, but does capitalize on the recent public bee craze, which is great. The public bee craze is another discussion for another time. I was curious what the Sierra Club considers bee food. I read the list of ingredients on the back of the package shown on the photo on the right. Plants from all over the world! I'm not criticizing the Sierra Club, but I really did expect more from them- at least plants native to the U.S. I opened the package, sorted out the 4 purple coneflower seeds and pitched the rest.

These are two blackhaw viburnum shrubs (native to central Ohio, of course). They were planted side by side two years ago. They came from the same source and were in the same size container. They were pretty much identical when planted. So, why does one plant have a few flowers while the other has none? Age is actually a factor here. Both these shrubs have reached the age where, in the future, they will flower more consistently. Kids entering puberty is a great analogy; not every child begins puberty at the exact same time. The same is true for trees, shrubs, and perennials, even if they are the same age. If you have every grown trees, shrubs, or perennials from seed this is familiar. Big box nurseries don't sell immature plants, but wait until they flower to sell them. Mail order catalogs will ship immature plants, and people are usually disappointed when their plants arrive and don't bloom that first summer. Patience pays off, again!

COME EARLY! Supplies will be limited, so arrive early! Last year there were quite a few larger sized perennials, but they were picked up quick! There is even a new coffee shop across the street- no excuse to stay home!