Coneflowers and Goldenrod

The coneflowers are just past their peak at the Genuine Faux Farm and the goldenrod is just getting going.  Of course, that doesn't mean we don't still have blooming coneflowers - they will have flowers for a while yet.  But, the peak, when there were very few flowers at the tail end of their quest to produce viable seed and most were at their very best for attracting pollinators (and the attention of this human) was clearly just last week.

At one point in time, we had some very specific places we had planted coneflowers.  Over time, the seeds have found new places to grow and the original plants are likely long gone.  Now they show up here and there, especially in the southwestern portions of our farm.

Goldenrod is not something we have purposely added to our landscape at the Genuine Faux Farm - though I wonder why we haven't done more with it sometimes.  Maybe it's because it introduces itself where it will anyway?  

Like the perennial planting by the cherry tree?
 

I wanted to clean that planting up this year, especially since we had lost part of the tree in the big storm a couple of years ago.  We've lost another chunk of it this Spring, too.  But, once I recognized this was a nice batch of goldenrod, I decided to leave it for now.  

All sorts of pollinators will love this patch - and I love our pollinators.  So... there it is.  As always, the hard part is trying to figure out the balance between some of the things I like with the things nature likes.  On our farm, this feels like a continuous negotiation that goes something like this...

Mother Nature: "How about a nice BIG patch of goldenrod where you planted those iris."

Farmer Rob: "Um...  I would rather that go over..."

Mother Nature: "And while we're at it, some thousand-flower aster would be great next to it."

Farmer Rob: "But that's where I put the iris and day lilies!  Could we just..."

Mother Nature: " And that cherry tree....  it needs some trimming."

Farmer Rob: "Ok, I'll take it down the rest of the way."

Mother Nature: "Here's a great crop of cherries this year."

Farmer Rob: "Does my opinion count for anything here?"

Mother Nature: "Wait.  Were you talking?"

It can certainly feel like two one-sided conversations that don't seem to meet in the middle.  But, I remind myself that we did introduce the coneflowers and Mother Nature seemed to appreciate that.  Our bush lines are homes to many birds and other critters and Crazy Maurice is here because we invited him.

So maybe we do participate a little bit in ways that Mother Nature approves of?  

Or maybe she just approves of our willingness to learn to approve of goldenrod and coneflowers.

Have a great week everyone!