2020 Summer Home and Garden

2020 Summer Home and Garden Lincoln Daily News June 11, 2020 Page 21 and wait for the rest to bloom the next year. As the perennials start to take over the area, an occasional reseeding will help maintain the balance of the wildflowers. This can be done when you notice an imbalance, perhaps every couple of years. Likewise, as the garden becomes larger and more abundant each season, some wildflowers that spread from runner or seeds may have to be thinned to keep them within the boundaries of the garden space. Keeping a clean edge to the planting will help keep some plants from spreading too quickly. For early spring color, Bluebells are a rapidly spreading perennial found in wooded areas of the United States. Native to a range of environments, they work well in different types of gardens. The wildflowers are long and narrow, creating the perfect cup for hummingbirds to take nectar from. The plant has long stems and grows to be 12 to 18 inches tall. While called Bluebells, they are not always blue in color. Sometimes they are an off-white color. The White Trout Lily is also found in moist woodlands. Found in many counties of Illinois, the wildflower blooms in early spring when sunlight penetrates through the trees. Growing in large colonies they help stabilize the forest ground. The white six petaled flower with bright yellow stamens grows on a stalk about four to six inches tall. The flower is a source of food for deer and for bees that need the pollen in early spring. The flowers as well as the leaves are used by humans for medicinal CONTINUED u