I find that this late spring/early summer time of year is when the non-natives in my garden really take center stage. This is not to say that now is the only time non-natives bloom—it's the particular composition of my garden that results in this situation. I also don't want to suggest that there is a lack of natives blooming in the spring (here or elsewhere). Quite the contrary; already the columbines (Aquilegia canadensis), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), shooting stars (Dodecatheon meadia) wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides), yellow pimpernels (Taenidia integerrima), golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) and prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) have bloomed beautifully throughout the garden.

But starting with the lilacs in May, it is the flowering shrubs, the peonies the irises and the salvias that steal the show. These pictured nectaroscordums (N. siculum spp.bulgaricum), a member of the onion family, are certainly the most interesting and unique flowers I have blooming right now.



Like all garden phases it is temporary. The sand coreopsis (C. lanceolata) is in full flower, and soon the garden will be dominated by liatris and coneflowers, Joe-Pye weed and more coreopsis, milkweeds and lobelias. But for now it's the non-natives time to shine, and shine they will.

— Rose Rankin