[OHeather]

What a great idea for a thread!

My three would be...
1. Bee Balm: We get so many bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies coming to this plant that I feel it is so beneficial to my garden. It has taken over my garden, and I have to separate it every year to keep it under control. It is so worth it though.

2. Sunflowers: Not only are they beautiful, but you can collect the seeds and eat them, or feed the birds in the winter. The deer ate all of ours this year, so I'll be buying bird food again this year. Also, last year I planted conventional seeds that I received from the sunflower project--none of them grew. This year I sought out organic, and they all took root and looked very healthy.

3. Stonecrop: This is a type of sedum, and there are many varieties. The greenery is nice in the summer, and then it flowers once the air gets cooler. It's nice to have something other than mums growing in the fall when everything else has died back.