Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Don’t deadhead these 7 summer blooms
We know if we want more flowers we need to prune and deadhead. It enhances the appearance and encourages more blooms. But some prolific bloomers do not need deadheading! It may actually prevent the plant from coming back next year. It will also prevent wildlife from reaping food from these plants. Here are a few you should let be for the summer:
Those beautiful Black-eyed susans will encourage small birds like sparrows and finches to feast on their abundant seeds. So let these lovelies go to seed. Besides feeding the little birds it will grow more flowers as they will self-seed.
Snapdragons provide continuous blooms throughout the season with little or no maintenance. They are usually grown as annuals. They come in a variety of colors to add beauty to your landscape with little care.
Columbine comes in a variety of vibrant colors. The blooms last for four weeks or so then begin to fade and turn brown. If you leave the flower on the plant the columbine will reseed itself and give you beautiful blooms year after year. The seeds are a rich source of food for birds and other wildlife.
Foxgloves attract pollinators like butterflies and bees as their trumpet shaped flowers have easy to reach nectar. These flowers produce hundreds of thousands of seeds that will germinate the following year. Plants will often be different colors as they cross pollinate.
Protip: foxgloves are toxic to pets! You should always research any plant before adding it to the garden if you have pets.
Nigellas have beautiful flowers with blue-green foliage and is also low maintenance. The seed pods that appear after blooming are visually appealing and they will be reseeded for next year. Fallen seeds are great food for birds.
Coneflowers are a great native plant that’s easy to care for. Leave them in place into the autumn and winter months. They still add a lot to the landscape, while goldfinches, cardinals and pine siskins will love to sit on the flowerheads to consume the nutrient rich seeds, a valuable food source in the colder weather. They will also self-seed.
Hydrangeas, especially the Big-leaf varieties, are best left alone. The flowers will add protection for the new buds that appear in the spring.
Sometimes deadheading comes with the risk of cutting back the growing points for next year. Research the particular types of flower, as some do need pruning at the correct time!
So leaving many of your blooming plants alone will have benefits for you and the wildlife that lives around your landscape.
Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago
