July blooms

When I first started gardening here, It seemed like the humming birds would look for humming bird feeders next to the structures, while ignoring the flowers that I was planting for them... They eventually figured it out...






The goldfinches had no problem finding the sunflowers...






I hate these 7 minute itch plants (Cnidoscolus stimulosus)
With all the butterflies pollinating them, I don't think I'll be rid of them any time soon.






These black grasshoppers are bigger than the plants they eat...






Wonder what the cat is hunting...







The verbesina is blooming.
I found this cool wildflower growing along the side of the road, being mowed. I pulled a coupla pieces, it came up like mint, and was as easy to transplant. The yellow variety hasn't started to bloom yet.




This is an interesting plant... The flowers resemble lavender. This guy is a natural sand-hill resident. I need to post it for identification at a plant forum.
I posted the flower, and got an immediate response... Field snakecotton
You really can't call something a weed when it only grows in sand where little else can grow.




Florida tasselflower (Emilia fosbergii) This plant showed up this year, I only have this one... Ima let it grow, in spite of it's close resemblance to a couple of rogue customers...






River oats are very pretty, but difficult to photograph.








Mint attracts some cool pollinators...
Meet the Double-banded Scoliid (Scolia bicinta).
When not pollinating mint, the double-banded scoliid catches beetle grubs for the next generation.

Tropical milkweed seeds.

As always, the pictures click for larger views.