Welcome to Plant Exchange Blog. We’re along the Missouri River on the southern edge of South Dakota on the Northern Plains, USDA Zone 4 and 5. We have high temperatures in the 90’s, like some other areas.
This season, a goal is to add more colorful perennials to flowerbeds. I enjoy trying to grow some plants from seeds. Success is the plant emerging from dormancy in the second year. These ‘Pow Wow’ Echinacea or cone flowers are two seasons old. Native plants like echinacea are often adapted to weather issues, and regional pollinators depend on them for nectar and pollen.
For color variety, these are other cone flowers started from seed indoors this season. Grass clippings mulch conserves moisture and cools the soil on hot days.
This is the raised flowerbed in which the above echinacea grow, along with a backdrop of Joe Pye Weed to show how they fit together.
Leucanthemum has daisy-like flowers and does not re-seed profusely as do Shasta daisies. They have some characteristics of chrysanthemums and have long-season blooms. So far, this second season, deer have avoided them.
Rudbeckias are standout perennials from seed last season and are blooming again. Deer do taste the hairy leaves but so far, find other plants to eat.
For landscape interest, the Leucanthemum and Rudbeckia are shown where they grow.
Lantana plants with leaves of a lemon fragrance came from the local nursery. They’re colorful plants by the morning coffee that thrive on the deck in the full sun heat of mid-day.
Finding flowering plants to feature each mid-month for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is fun and sometimes gives the chance to see a nature surprise in the yard. We invite you to browse other Plant Exchange Blog posts by date or topic. Maybe you’d like to see Garden Bloggers Bloom Day of past months here. Thanks for “Likes” when you find a subject you enjoy. Thanks to loyal “Followers” who show up for the weekly posts. Hope to see you next week.
Suppose you are ready to see what other garden bloggers in this country and elsewhere have in bloom around July 15th. In that case, the next stop is Carol in Indiana. Her May Dreams Gardens blog in Indiana is filled with flowers. At the end of her post for July 15th, note the list of garden bloggers eagerly waiting to show you their gardens! Here is her link: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com
Plant Exchange Blog 
A beautiful garden full of those familiar flowers – the perfect mid-summer array.
What a lovely garden you have and I see that we do have a few plants in common. Happy Bloom Day!