~Oasis Among the Cornfields~
Brome grass has been one of the most aggressive grasses on the farm. Any plant that isn’t tall or vigorous enough will quickly succumb to its strength.
There are some Ornamental Grasses though, that I have found out to compete well against the Bromegrass.
In the beginning I never thought this perennial plant would amount to much.
This Loosestrife is short, but has found a way to spread and exclude the aggressive, taller bromegrass. It is most noticeable with the white flowers in mass.
I am noticing Gallinipper Mosquitos more often now.
Today was the first time I was ever bit by one and wasn’t as bad as I had expected.
Kokuso Mulberry has been a slower growing mulberry tree for me.
But that hasn’t stopped it from producing a lot of fruit. The fruit ripens in a shorter time frame than some of my other Mulberry cultivars.
Giant Fleeceflower is generally well-behaving, but the clump continues to spread.
The flowers are the most important feature of this perennial, lasting what seems like an eternity.
Not an early bird, but I do get up early enough sometimes to catch a beautiful sunrise.
American Elderberry goes unnoticed in the early part of the year.
Now that the elderberry bushes are flowering, it is easy to spot them in the landscape.
There are many different Mulberry cultivars one can try to grow in Iowa.
The middle one is from a special selection, while the smaller ones are seedlings that grow around here.
There are a lot of moths flying around in the summer months.
Sometimes I find bigger ones like this Polyphemus Moth.