Backyard Columbus

10/09/2026

Greetings from my hiking trip in New Hampshire! 😃🤟🏼🫎

This time of year perfectly illustrates the need for asters (and goldenrods) 💜💛💜💛

During October, and even into November, late season bees are in need of nutrition and this is where asters and goldenrods shine.

This is also a perfect time to plant these invaluable pollinator plants by seed so you’ll be ready for next year‘s pollinators 🐝

10/02/2026

Want easy to grow flowers that love a sunny spot?
Say HELLO 👋 to:

The Gray-headed coneflower
and
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)

💛The Gray-headed Coneflower💛
Is a common native North American perennial wildflower featuring bright, yellow drooping petals and a gray central cone that smells like anise when crushed.

Needs full sun ☀️

Blooms continuously from Midsummer through early fall

It attracts native bees, bumblebees, and butterflies looking for nectar. Songbirds like goldfinches love eating the mature seeds in autumn, so don’t cut them down before winter… Or cut them off and put them in a “dead flower bouquet“ so birds can enjoy the seeds throughout the winter.

🦌 Allegedly deer resistant 😂, but definitely easy to grow!

💜Purple Coneflower💜

A popular garden flower, it blooms from late spring through mid fall.

Thrives best in full sun ☀️ but will tolerate light partial shade

Highly drought tolerant once established and allegedly resistant to deer 🦌🤷🏼‍♀️😬 VERY easy to grow!

It’s a major magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Leftover seed heads in winter attract seed eating birds like gold finches.

I think the colors of pink and yellow look beautiful together in the garden! 💜💛🩷💛🩷💛🩷💜

A couple of simple and easy to grow additions to your pollinator garden!
The most cost effective way to plant these is by seed this fall. The seeds must go through a cold snap in order to grow next season.
OR: but the plants next [late] spring and plant those.

09/29/2026

https://www.backyardcolumbus.com/post/want-a-better-garden-next-spring-start-this-fall

A great spring garden doesn't begin when the garden center puts pansies out. It starts with what you plant, leave, move and prepare in the fall. But don't panic! You don't have to do everything. Here are five high-impact fall garden tasks you can tackle now to make next spring easier and give your g...

09/29/2026

🧡𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞!🧡

Fall is a PERFECT time to plant seeds for next year’s flowers 🌼

𝕎𝕙𝕪?

🌼It’s cheaper! One seed packet can create a lot of plants for a lot less money
🌼Many native perennials need winter. Cold, moist winter weather helps break dormancy so they can germinate in spring.
🌼Nature does the work. You don’t need grow lights, trays, or a greenhouse. Fall planting lets the season do with the season already knows how to do 😉

And as you can see, it doesn’t have to be difficult, complicated, wreck your knees, or break your back!

Scrape, scatter and re-scrape.

🧡🤎𝔼𝕒𝕤𝕪!🤎🧡

🧡And remember: many spring gardens are built in the fall 🙃🤎

09/27/2026

There’s nothing pretty about our vegetable garden right now…..

I’d think twice before planting a Cardinal/Cypress vine 😱 While it’s attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, the seeds it forms after flowering will go EVERYWHERE and apparently it’s also toxic to dogs and cats 😳

09/24/2026

The gardeners who win next spring start this fall 🍁 🍂

The cheapest, easiest and most sure fire way to get awesome pollinator gardens next year is to start NOW 👍🏼

Any size is great!
Many native perennials when planted by seed need to overwinter outside in order to grow next season….so now’s the time!

More soon!
I had so many ideas to share, starting with a shorter post seemed like a better idea 😂…. and I got home from work late 🤪🙃🤣

You think about your wish list, while I compile an even longer list of ideas on how to make the most out of your suburban yard and carve out a space for pollinators and nature 💚

09/22/2026

🌼𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑵𝒐𝒘? 🌼

Oh so many things!
This is one of the most important times in our suburban yards: having enough nectar and pollen sources for late season bees and butterflies, as well as the migratory butterflies (Monarchs and Painted Ladies)
🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

If you see a flower that makes you smile, jot it down: I’m going to be sharing ideas over the next few weeks about what you can plant this fall to have a successful pollinator garden next year! 🐝🦋

And if you missed it: it’s not too late to go buy a couple of pots of asters and set them on your sunny porch, your patio or plop them in the ground. These late season bees and butterflies, including the migratory monarch, will thank you! 🧡🧡

09/20/2026

What's ONE thing you can do now to help monarch butterflies? Check it out (and it's EASY!)