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Turning a Field into a Flower Jungle

How Steve Reilly turned a field into a flower jungle
the whole community loved.
(Including the deer and the hummingbirds.)

Southeastern Wildflowers

Dear American Meadows:
Southeastern WildflowersJust for fun, we disked up about an acre in one of our fields here in southeastern Ohio. We planted , , , and in mid May.

The results were amazing and we learned a lot. The deer ate all the sunflowers once they got about knee high but the cosmos, zinnias and plains coreopsis went crazy — I think every seed germinated. By August we had a 6 ft. flower jungle and we have been providing cut flowers for months to everyone we know and offices at work and our public library. While cutting flowers for friends, we were amazed to see all the birds and insects using the blooms. We were thrilled with all the activity, and we can report that hummingbirds love cosmos. The jungle is still going strong now in mid-October. We will be back next year for more seeds and more fun!

Steve Reilly.....Ohio

Steve is a Professor in the Dept. of Biological Sciences at Ohio University. We really appreciate him sending his photos and story to share with our members.

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