In my garden, the volunteer sunflowers from the seeds the chipmunks missed the previous fall, always grow the best. I leave quite a few for the bees and the birds, in particular, the goldfinches. I like the random way the sunflowers come up.
Anise hyssop is on the menu almost all summer for my neighborhood bees. The fresh leaves and blossoms make a delicious bright green tea for people. Watch out, though. This plant reseeds handily, so expect a little weeding come spring.
This monarch was seen at The Lurie Garden in Chicago. Common milkweed found its own way into the planting scheme, but it was left for good reason. Overwintering populations of monarchs in Mexico are at alarming low levels. (Source:  MonarchWatc
A pumpkin vine grew out of my compost pile this year and it had heavily perfumed blossoms. In the morning I would often find a couple bees that had spent the night inside.
The geraniums were not much competition for the surrounding Calamintha nepeta, but this bee visited both blossoms before moving on.
Wild asters are not very showy, and have a tendency to re-seed too vigorously, but in my garden they are an important late season pollen source.
Ornamental oregano blooms late in the season.
So much of my garden has become about bees, butterflies and all the other pollinators and insects who pass through daily throughout the growing season... the different species, what they are attracted to, how many there are. It turns out that
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