Through the eyes of Paula...

For people who invest in flowers for a nice summer front or backyard, the flowers listed here would provide a wonderful addition to a garden. In addition, the flowers will attract bees, which are crucial in keeping the flowers well and abundant. Here are some suitable flowers to plant this summer.

1. Foxglove Beardtongue: Bloomingin June, the foxglove beardtongue is a tall-stemmed plant that grows about three feet high. The white flowers are tubular and long, providing nectar to honey bees and hummingbirds. The name “beardtongue” comes from the appearance of the hair on the stamen within the flower.

2. Prairie Crocus: The provincial flower of Manitoba, the prairie crocus is a low-growing plant with single stems for each bud. The flowers are either a bright blue or purple with six pointed petals. Flourishing in the late spring and early summer, the flower’s leaves are thin and divided into many segments. The best part of the prairie crocus, however, is that it’s a long-lived perennial, spreading into multiple flowers the longer it remains planted.

3. Wild Chives: From the same family as garlic, chives are easily grown herbs that thrive across the country. The stems are long and thin, but grow in large clusters close to the ground. On each stem, a near-circular purple bloom will attract honey bees during the spring, and remarkably, the plant will repel many unwanted insects. When harvested, the stems can be minced into salads and dips that have a spicy onion-like flavour.

4. Lowbush Blueberry: The lowbush blueberry is farmed commercially in Canada, but also grows wild in pine forests, as the needles provide acidic soil. Although the bush doesn’t flourish in its first few years, in later years, it will provide abundant flowers as well as delicious and easily picked blueberries.

5. Red Raspberry: Like the lowbush blueberry, the raspberry is farmed all over the world, but also grows wild all over Canada. Typically, the plant won’t flower until its second or third year, after which it will offer soft white blossoms with rounded petals. After pollination, there will be an abundance of fruit in the late summer or early autumn, ripe for harvesting.