Garden Siren Call

      This is the 'Sunbuzz' sunflower to replace a dead Zinnia. The purple Celosia is a bee magnet.      The garden in front of our house -- arguably the most visible one -- looked a little scraggly.     A giant Zinnia had died in the center of the space and there was an opening at one end.       I sought to in-fill the emptiness with two annuals bought on sale: A Celosia, which blooms into the  Autumn, and a small, "Sunbuzz" sunflower. Both were inexpensive: One was featured at Green Thumbers and one at Menard's, both in Davenport.     The sunflower is as cute as a button; it is advertised as a "tidy little plant, with long-lasting color," and is expected to grow about 20 inches tall, which is perfect center-of-the-garden size. It could be used in a planter, but I have it in the sunny mid-garden space. It's fun to watch the little sunflower heads follow the sunshine and it's alluring to pollinators.   ...

Here is the "welcome area" in mid-August.        This photo was taken after the entry garden was first planted, in June.      The rural setting for our home includes a long, curvy  driveway with a mailbox and newspaper box at the entry.     This area is ripe for decor. There is mail delivery, six days a week, and an increasing number of other drivers stopping by.       Initial appearances can be welcoming, or a turnoff.     Several years ago I voted for a welcoming vibe. It was pretty easy to establish this small area:     1. Cut the sod in a circle around the mail and newspaper boxes.     2. Remove the sod.     3. Dump in a bag of good soil, and mix with existing soil.     4. Choose plants, and place four of them in succession around the circle.     5. Mulch.     I added  cobblestones to the circle edge and have gotten seasonal with the flower...