I think Billy hits on a good topic that I would like to expand upon a bit. Planting things for the pollinators to feed on is terrific, but a lot of what we grow doesn't require pollinators so it won't necessarily lead to higher yields for us. Many plants such as lettuce and other greens are harvested before they flower at all so clearly no pollination is needed. Many flowering plants such as beans, peas, tomatos, peppers etc. also require no insect pollination to yield well. Corn is wind pollinated. Roots crops don't require pollination. You get the idea. Things like many vine crops (cukes, squash, pumpkin, melons) do require insect pollination, but will having a wildflower garden filled with nectar/pollen rich flowers get the job done or will it just attract pollinators to the wildflower garden? . Hypothetically it could reduce pollination of the plants we need pollinated if more preferred food sources for the pollinators are close by. Personally I love the pollinators and plant things to attract them every year. I don't do this for better yields from my plants, but for the enjoyment of watching them go about their business and support their overall population.

I have a north facing hillside that I'd prefer to not have to weed. Bermuda grass and sheep sorrel (two really horrible rhizome spreading nightmares) are endemic in my neighborhood. So I've planted all tough plants that can compete back, and with each other. Some posters complain about rudbeckia black eyed Susans being invasive, but mine are struggling against the evening primrose and Bermuda grass: This was in May, when the primrose was all in bloom. Now daisies and echinacea are blooming, and they are too large to go down in the sea of invasives. The grasses as well are quite tough and hold their own. Gaura is the one plant I wish I could get to thrive here, but it's had trouble. Summer heat and drought tends to beat down the smaller invasives and lets the larger, tough grasses and coneflowers and daisies cement their place. I've released mint on this hill, as we churn through the fresh herb for cooking, but it has had trouble taking off. A month later, the beginnings of the echinacea flowers:

Hm, I've grown bee balm in the past, but now I have a problem that I've never experienced. I bought plants from a plant store, instead of growing my own from seed. They were doing splendidly until today. It's about 90 degrees, and I last watered heavily last evening. They're also heavily mulched. But today they dropped every petal from every flower. What's going on? Are the plants dead? Will they grow new blooms if I deadhead? I've never had this happen before. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Sadly, I'm reading this to get ideas for plants I CAN use in this zone/region/area. We are what my mom calls "high and dry". You dig and get 6" or less of acidic topsoil (thanks to all the oaks), then the rest of it below is sugar sand (or "blow sand"). We are about 2 miles inward of Lake Michigan, but still have way too much sand in a heavily forested area. The years-long established woodland areas have typical wintergreen (teaberry), wild blueberry, wild violets, some kind of resilient fern, some dry-loving moss, a small non-violet purple flower, and others I can't remember names. But around my mom's house (built about 6 years ago) has nothing but sand under 1" of any kind of topsoil. Maple seedling from the few trees she has seems to be the worst weed in my beds. She's struggled over time to grow any kind of lawn and is just now starting to succeed in her back yard. We haven't found ANY plant so far to be invasive besides crab grass and dandelions. Snow-on-the-mountain died after first year somehow. Vinca minor (creeping myrtle) has grown (a little) over the years, but been struggling down a north slope. Lily of the valley will work around her deck area, but spreading VERY slowly. I purposely planted a sweet autumn clematis (paniculata) just to see how invasive it can be. I doubt it will survive and/or thrive. We do have some native weed of sorts in patches in the lawn which resembles a green, creeping jenny but we leave it because it's better than just plain dirt or failing-looking, patchy grass and it stays low to the ground. Her buttercup is still very slow to spread in her part-sun back rose garden. Spread like 3' dia in several yrs. We have a place to fill with something low between the west house wall and fence that will fair well (with no watering) and/or deal with regular lawn mowings. Was looking at tansy. Just want something that didn't fly over spans to faraway beds. But I can't STAND any wild violets in my flower beds, though. I moved away from the stuff at old house. It consumed all but some roses and bulbs no matter what I did to get them out. Pulled and dug for days to no avail. Then left bed to nature... and how ugly it got! Brought a few plants with me to my mom's house and nabbing any and all violet sprouts I see popping up around them. I wanted to refresh this thread for this list anyways. Maybe I can get suggestions along the way... Otherwise, great read!