I’m not sure who planted this succulent bed surrounding one of the mesquite trees, Prosopis glandulosa, but it’s looking great. These various aloes, yuccas, and succulents are thriving in the filtered light and unammended soil.
Ruellia, also known as Mexican petunia or wild petunia, is perfect in these locations. It is a vigorous self-seeder and considered a nuisance by some gardeners. Don’t let it get established where you don’t want it! It has deep roots and brittle stems that tend to break when you try to pull it out.
Ruellia also looks great edging the Outdoor Classroom.
Although we’ve let the grass and weeds get out of hand, these zinnias and sunflowers are still very welcoming.
And for those of you who are wondering about the title of this post. We saw tons of butterflies, dragonflies, bees and one hummingbird. The little beauty above was working the butterfly weed. Butterfly weed is a nectar plant. It blooms on new growth so you don’t have to worry about pruning. It’s a self-seeder and will spread easily.