Every year, this time of year we start planning our spring/summer garden layout. Winter blues start setting in, and to combat this, we start dreaming about our summer garden. As a nature and wildlife photographer, I enjoy creating a safe space for wild creatures to inhabit. I enjoy being surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature. The birds singing, the windchimes harmonizing the nature sounds. Sitting in our garden bench while enjoying the beautiful colors and fragrance of the flowers and the creatures the blooms attract. Every year we plant several varieties of sunflowers. We till up a section that lines the privacy fence. As you pass by our house in the summer, you can see the sunflowers peaking over the fence. Neighbors have stopped by just to tell us how much they enjoy the beautiful blooms.

Sunflowers attract a yellow bird called the American Goldfinch. Once the sunflowers seed, these birds snack away on these seeds. The blooms of the sunflowers, and the raspberry plants we grow attract bees of different species with the added bonus of having an organic snack available at our whim. We will go out in the morning drinking our morning coffee, picking the berries right off the vine. It reminds me of my childhood in north Missouri, as a young girl on my grandparent’s dairy farm running carefree snacking on berries when inconvenienced by my stomach growling. The days when the only thing that reigned me in was the setting sun warning me that it is going to get dark soon.

One raised garden bed is solely dedicated to native milkweed plants and wildflowers. This is our effort in assisting with supporting the monarch and bee population. The first year we had one monarch butterfly / caterpillar, this year we had three. This plant also attracts bees, and the blooms smell very sweet. I am excited to see what this coming summer brings.

We planted seeds for a new plant, called Tithonia, or Mexican Sunflower. We were pleasantly surprised that this flower seemed to attract monarchs as well. I love watching the monarch feeding on the pollen with its long probiscis. Do you plan a spring/summer garden to attract birds and/or butterflies? If so, what do you plant? Please comment below!

American Goldfinch on a towering Sunflower

Bumblebee on a wildflower

Ladybug on a milkweed bloom

Bumblebee on native milkweed at sunset

Butterfly and bokeh at sunset

Bumblebee on a raspberry bloom at sunset

Honeybee feasting on milkweed and bokeh basking in the sunshine at sunset

Blooming backlit colorful sunflower

Beautiful backlit hummingbird at sunset

Monarch Butterfly spreading it’s wings on a Mexican Sunflower. Did you know that butterflies use their wings for temperature regulation?

All images on this website are photographed by me, and prints are available for purchase by contacting me through email on this website. Stay tuned for more content, and feel free to ask questions in the comments. Thank you for visiting!