Here is a look at what’s blooming in my garden today.

View from the balcony: Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Liatris, and garden phlox

I love this garden phlox because the fuchsia clusters are so striking.

The orange butterflyweed is also thriving. I bought three tiny seedlings from Mary’s Greenhouse several years ago, and they have grown to be the size of small bushes.

orange butterflyweed (*Asclepias tuberosa*)

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta) are two of my favorite native perennials. As meadow wildflowers, they can withstand drought and rocky soil.

The bees love purple coneflower (*Echinacea purpurea*) and black-eyed susan (*Rudbeckia hirta*)

A lovely black-eyed susan (*Rudbeckia hirta*)

Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) is another favorite. The tall, spiky flowers add vertical interest to the garden composition. I also love how the purple creates a split complimentary color scheme with the yellow and pink of the Rudbeckia and Echinacea.

Dense blazing star (*Liatris spicata*). Fun fact: *spicata* means “spiked” in Latin.

The Chinese butterfly orchids have thrived this year. Although they’re not endemic to Tennessee, I love how the parallel venation of the leaves add palm-like variety to the garden.

Chinese butterfly orchid (Bletilla ochrecea)

The beloved butterfly bush (Buddleja). I planted it 2017 when my dad and I created Swallowtail Garden.

The coral honeysuckle has done well, despite attacks from the deer. I had a few successful propagations last season and hope to grow more this year on the woodshed.

Coral honeysuckle (*Lonicera sempervirens*). The species name, *sempervirens*, means “always alive” and refers to the plant’s evergreen leaves.

The creeping St. John’s wort is on the aggressive side, but it does a nice job covering the unsightly downspout.

creeping St. John’s wort (*Hypericum calycinum*)

The zinnias are like butterfly magnets! I planted a bunch in the bottom section to fill in while the Echinacea gets established.

Lollipop verbena is another popular butterfly species. Its habit can look a little weedy, so I try to plant it against the wall or somewhere else otherwise unstructured.

Lollipop verbana (*Verbena bonariensis*) and a cabbage white butterfly

The ground section is comprised of Echinacea, Rudbeckia, zinnias, and garden phlox. There are gladiolas, too, but I used them in an arrangement before I took this picture.