Need Help Building a Butterfly Education & Exploration Site

Jules, your crinums are gorgeous!
Dee, love your Peruvian daffodil. I have it too!

SW, your project is so inspiring! I do hope you take a ton of the entire site, in all seasons - the good, bad, and the ugly - so that you look back and see all the love that has gone into the project. Even simple yard projects, I wish sometimes I'd kept a photo journal, and even kept pictures season to season.

As an aside - I have a ton of cleome seeds from this year. If you'd like some, I'm happy to send.

I love the Tithonia - I planted some of this really late this year, and have these baby seedlings - I'm hoping they still grow, even with their late start as it typically doesn't freeze here until late November. We shall see!

Thinking good karma your way,
m.

I'm enjoying all the photos. I need to get motivated again to get back to gardening. The hot sun sure is taking a toll on lots of plants, oh how I look forward to seeing rain again. My back yard is full of pine needles again. They cover up all the plants and it gets to be a mess. Not even my tree, wonder if I could get the city to cut it down. My problems would be solved.

Couple of pictures to "show off". Couple of my plumeria bloomed this summer.

Still learning how to take some decent pictures.



This message was edited Aug 1, 2014 8:49 PM

Was the flower that appeared out of nowhere a Lycoris? Red spider lily? Love those and the white ones. If not full storyboards - a scattered one. So many people I see studying what is written at interesting places. Most have never heard the story of the crawfish, nor Coyote, --- hmm I need to find what your stories are I guess. I love the light voices of the Navajo ( my grandparents lived near Albuquerque) and have struggled to remember the Cherokee words I once heard, my ex was part Choctaw but didnt know til after we married many years. I had told him he was, but all he knew was the french, german, english sides. Chuckle. He definitely kept the Choctaw gene in his bones and blood. I am simply Scots, but grew up in Oklahoma and loved it.
I wander. Time to go home and find my garden.

Dee that peruvian daffodil is so beautiful!

I agree Julie... the colors on that Tilthonia are so pretty... I tend to plant lavenders and pinks ... but one year I was really into orange wallflowers and orange zinnias and boy were the colors gorgeous! It's funny how colors affect us... some are so soothing.

Pretty plumerias Samigal! Maybe you could find someone who needs pine needs for mulch and share? -:)

RE old stories from old timers:
be sure to get as many of these recorded by some -any- method. This is a resource that could be lost over time if our generation isn't careful. If they are traditionally oral, then audio or AV would be appropriate, but I would transcribe when you get some spare time, too.

So many pine trees around here, I end up putting most of the needles in our green waste bin. I don't know if any of my neighbors have gardens, lots are small but then I couldn't begin to keep up with lots of land. I'll be happy just to see everyone's progress in their garden projects.

Hey there! I was just looking through my outdated Geoseed catalog and, as I was going online to print a new order form, I thought "Maybe Julie would like to go in on some butterfly plants". I was looking at anise and rue for the swallowtails. I think I'm going to have to go to find out exactly what our local butterflies would like and even what will grow xeriscape. Geoseed has a lot of good seed in bulk for reasonable prices. Like $3.50 for a hundred or even a million seeds.
By the by, most of butterfly weed you sent me home with has survived but I doubt I'll be getting seeds this year. A couple had browned out but new growth is coming up at ground level. The Impatiens looked great until the deer ate the flowers (or maybe it was a bunny), so much for them coming back. Banana "dude" as my grand-daughter named it is going strong with the three babies. Well, let me know if you have any GeoSeeds you want and we can order together.
Dee

I'm sorry for the long delay in posting on this thread. It's been a busy month so far.

Gosh, Dee, I'll take a look at the GeoSeed website again. I'm having a hard time reading the catalog on-line. I'll see if I can get better resolution with my Kindle.

Glad to hear the MW survived, but sad that it won't bloom this year. :-(

We'll try again on the impatiens. I have a couple of new colors I'm hoping will reseed.

I have some photos I promised to post of the b.fly site, that I took this past spring.

1. Approaching what I hope will be the entrance to the BEES. I just started clearing this area of the dead branches. This series of photos was taken on March 3rd, 2014.

2. This shows the pathway, just to the right of the BEES, and Grandmother Oak is across the creek and straight ahead. I want to clear the area a bit of dead brush and plant native plants and flowers in this area. on the right in this photo. I plan on keeping most of the native plants that are already there, and hope to reintroduce more natives that the b.flys like.

3. This shows the future site of the koi pond feature. I'm standing in the creek bed, so we are almost at eye level in this photo to the ground. It will be self contained, with no outlet to the mostly dry creek.

4. Same thing as the previous photo, but at a different angle.

5. Sitting on my favorite bench. I've already come farther this year with the site, than I thought I would. Your support really helps.

That's it for this post. I do have more photos to post though.

BBS.

WIB~
SW

Another random thought -
A lot of dead fall scattered around is a fire hazard, BUT a branch/brush/ wood pile built away from other combustibles (especially taller stuff) is good wild life habitat.

I ordered a print catalog online, I was having trouble enjoying the computer version.
Mine hasn't arrived yet, maybe you should do the same.

I am looking for some more Asclepias fascicularis seed. It grew well and it is native to southern California. Definately one you should be growing. It might even grow without water once established. I am hoping the gopher out in the milkweed patch is happy eating all the feverfew and doesn't move into eating the milkweeds. He did suck down the healthiest cassia which just broke my heart.

They plant in metal fabric baskets on east coast to protect from gophers- or they eat even the roses.

Minnesota is the gopher state and I think all gophers should stay there. We lived in Long Beach, Ca. for a few years and those darn gophers would destroy so many of my tomato and zucchini plants
Now that we moved to Norwalk I haven't seen any here.

Good thought pollengarden. I have already asked the guys to put the downed oak branches along the creek to keep people out, and I know it'll provide habitat for the quail. We generally leave the dead brush along the creek anyway. DH and a friend saw 3 foxes yesterday, walking out of the Christmas trees, up to Hummingbird Hill. :-D

The guys have been bringing me quail eggs they have found out there among the trees all summer.

Believe me, we don't want fire hazards here, and we try really hard to keep defensible space around us. We have an awful lot to loose if our place goes up in flames.

Dee, I'm glad I wasn't the only one getting eye strain. I'll go ahead and order my own catalog.
I'm really sorry about your cassia. Gophers are horrible. I think I'd like to try the Asclepias fascicularis. I think it would do well on the hillsides around here. :-)

The snails ate my feverfew. :-(

You know how I joke about my gh being the same climate as Texas? Well it was more like Texas than I wanted when I found fire ants in there. They probably hitched a ride in a potted plant. I am terribly allergic to them. My summer kid, Jonathan researched online how to get rid of them. Bless his heart, he poured boiling water over them for me. We're keeping an eye out to see if they come back, but so far they appear to have been eradicated. :-)

We've had really odd weather for August. We've had a couple of t.storms, the one last weekend even had hail. I took a photo but I don't think it came out too well. Anyway, we usually don't have rain until October, so measurable rain in August is just plain weird. Welcome, but weird.

I noticed that all the queen ants came out after the first rain. I have a photo of them covering the front walk. You could see them everywhere on the walk, on the lawn, in my flowerbeds. My YS is the designated ant killer, and he has been really busy. We are only going after the ants that invade the house, and the red ones that I'm so allergic to.

I haven't been seeing any cat action lately, and am wondering if the wasps are getting to them. Thing is I have plenty of GF's flittering around.

I'm going through my seed, and figuring out what I still need to sow this year, before I start buying new seed. Anyway, I was wondering what plant/s you other gardeners would recommend. Go ahead and recommend away, even if I have the plant already. You see, I figure by picking everyone's mind, finding out what does well for them, will help me determine the best plants to get. I could always use more plants. LOL! :-)

I got sick over the weekend, I had all the p's you can think of. Peeing, puking, pooping, perspiring, and even phlegm. It was not fun. I seem to be getting better. Yea! The weather is much cooler than normal, and I resent every sunny day I can't be in it.

I promised some more photos of the BEES.

1. Kind of an overview showing the Troll Bridge. We've lost the top of the tree since I took this photo back in March. The drought has been most unkind to it. I guess I can plant something else there if it doesn't come back.

2. I was on the path that curves around the BEES. Directly in front will be the waterfall, a bit to the left, and the creek would be centered at the base of the slope, while the koi pond will be on the right.

3. Standing on the edge of the creek looking toward the picnic area. The BEES is behind me.

4. A closer view of the tree by the Troll Bridge.

5. The other side of the Troll Bridge. I plan on having a gate there, so you can exit the BEES by going out a gate that leads to the pathway around the outside of the BEES, or by crossing the Troll bridge.

Please give a thought to your favorite B.fly plants, and maybe share what kind and why you like them. I thank you for helping me out with this project.

BBS~
WIB~
SW

Sorry, I took too long to finish my post.

Gophers, Yech!

I've been using the sonic thing, and it helps in the GH. I haven't really been going after the other ones. Either the cats, the coyotes, or the owls seem to be keeping their population in check for now. Thank Goodness.

Good to see you posting again Samigal. You know that usually I am cursing the gophers, this year it seems to be the ants. I really hate them for eating most of my gourd vines. I am still hoping to get some seed gourds. Sigh. Lousy squirrels.

I really have to go catch up on my watering.

BBS~
WIB~
SW

RE fire ants - we had them when we lived in South Carolina. My daughter was very allergic, too, so you have my sympathies. Try rubbing the bite with rubbing alcohol ASAP. In SC, people carried a couple of those little foil wrapped alcohol wipes in their pockets. It helps but doesn't prevent a reaction. Pain killer before bed, they always hurt worse at night. Boiling water on the hills works in Sandy soil but not so well in clay.

RE butterfly plants: I like dill. easy to grow, reseeds, host for black Swallowtails. For a perennial, Rue works for BS too and gets by with a little less water than dill. Rabbitbrush/Chamisa is not a host plant but it is a great nectar plant, especially fall blooming strains. The last one to bloom ends up looking like a butterfly bouquet. Odd ball to try: Alfalfa - plants are host to sulfurs, blossoms attract hairstreaks. Grama grass is a native host plant here. Daylillies will grow in those spots that alternate between too wet and too dry, and the bigger butterflies seem to like them.

Hi pollengarden. Thank you for your comments.
I am so glad that we don't have clay soil here near the house. Good suggestions about the fire ant bite remedies. Usually if I get by a red ant here, I first kill the ant, then rub mud on it, and run for the benedryl cream. Sigh. I wonder why it is that they hurt worse at night, but they sure do. Sigh. I usually end up taking Benedryl the night I get bit too.

You mentioned some plants that I'm not familiar with, except for the alfalfa. I knew that the b.flys love them. It really saddens me that the farmers in the Central Valley kill the b.flys to get a good alfalfa crop. I hadn't thought about growing alfalfa, although I really do like the plant. Not so oddball for me. :-)

I'm pretty sure that we have Chamisa/Rabbit Brush growing here on the hillsides. I'll have to go take a look to be sure. I've never tried growing either Rue or Dill, but it looks like I can sow the dill outside this fall, if I have or can find some seed. :-)

The Rue is a fascinating plant. I guess that it has medicinal properties, as well as being a snake and cat deterrent. I can see having it in my home garden, but was thinking about trying to stick to native plants for the BEES. However, I was thinking of keeping the non-natives in pots, and I think that would work for the BEES.

I like the fact that some of the plants you recommend, perhaps all of them, are aromatic. One thing I've always enjoyed, is working with handicapped kids. The blind kids love to smell and touch things. I like to have things available for them to explore in this way. :-)

I'm working on propagating my Daylillies. Somehow I acquired several pots from another DG'er. A couple of years ago, the stray Mama Dog and her puppies ripped all the plant markers out of the pots. I am still trying to match them up but, that means I already have Daylillies in pots. :-) I was planning on seeing if any need to be separated this fall/winter, and will be keeping them in pots for now. I do have some planted in my garden too. I bought them years ago, and have transplanted them a couple of times. I finally found a place where they seem to be happy and propagating.

I'm finding a lot of red sage sprouts in the green and out in the yard too. I have some red sage seed too. It's a lovely plant, but it seems to attract more Hummers than Bflys. That's okay, I love the Hummers too. :-) I was just reading about a different Salvia that I really want to try. Is anyone growing any Blue Anise Sage?

I spent part of the day going through my seed and trying to figure out where I am, as far as staying on schedule with my plantings. Sometimes, it's really hard to figure out when to plant. Our climate in CA is different than back east. Although, I've found if you can grow it in TX, I can probably get it to grow here. :-)

I usually spend August potting up volunteers, and trying to start cuttings. This year, that's about all I've managed to do. I really should get back out there and work on the lantana, since it's getting overgrown. Can always use more lantana. :-)

That's it for now, but since DH is out of town for a couple of days, I'll have more time to post photos.

WIB~
SW

I grew rue this year and planted out four plants. They are really an attractive little bush with blue foliage. I hear some people get a reaction when they touch the leaves, my answer is not to touch the leaves. I plan on putting more in next year. The gophers have left it alone even though they have sucked down 10 of the 12 feverfew plants I put in next to them. Fennel is similar like Dill and I like it better, I've put in lots of it too. Don't buy rue, it's on my Geoseed order and I will have like a milllion seeds so you can try some. I think it would grow in a gallon pot fine, at least for the first year.
I just bought a Salvia guaranitica 'black and blue' from my local OSH. I think it's the same as Blue Anise Sage. I am collecting seed from it and will try to get some growing. It is gorgeous, and I can see having more than one in the garden. I should probably try to grow it from cuttings too but that can wait until spring.

Thanks Dee. I can't wait for my catalogue to arrive.

I just asked DH about the rabbit brush, and we don't have any on the farm yet. :-)

Things are finally moving forward with the farmers market. Hopefully it'll be good to go on September 7. Paul was asking me for some plants to fill in the border in front of the entrance to the market. I took out a bunch of Lantana and the mystery plant. I'll get photos tomorrow.
It's starting to look nice out there.

Was talking to a friend in Fallbrook, and she told me that her house was struck by lightning in the thunder storm last week. I guess that the neighborhood was hit pretty hard. My friend and some of the neighbors had to get all their electrical checked out. She said her Dad found a hole in the chimney where the lightning hit. My friend said she was sound asleep when she was awakened by what she thought were bombs going off. A different neighbors' tree was all burned up. She said that they are still making repairs and replacing the electronics that shorted out. I am glad that the house did not catch fire and no one was hurt.

I'll be back with more photos, tomorrow.

WIB~

SW

Jules, the place seems perfect. Any work done yet? I hope you are feeling better.

Adina

Hi Adina, you know how it is. Nothing going on for weeks at a time, then everything comes at you all at once. We've been trying to get the Farmer's Market going since last March. The city just keeps finding more fees to charge. Sigh.

The BEES is in the early stages of clearing and planning. I have been removing the dead brush, and planning on where to put things like the waterfall, and koi pond. There will be a small brook that feeds into the pond from the waterfall. I kind of have the boundaries figured out, but am waiting til this fall when things are cooler and I have some help to start moving things around. I lost my apprentices, when school started. I'll get 'em back when they are on break from school.

I figure I can start marking off the space during Pumpkin Patch season when I'm out there anyway. I'll also have my boys around and will try to get them to help out too.

You know Adina, I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time, and I really looked hard at the farm to find the right location. I hope by sharing what I'm doing on this thread, my friends at DG will help me get it right. So, I hope that everyone reading/following this thread will feel free to make suggestions, and give advice, or even share what you might think will make it a better experience for people of all ages. :-)

I promised more photos of the BEES. These were taken at the end of April. It's so weird that these photos show a lot more green than the previous, when it's normally the other way around.

1. This is the slope where the waterfall will be.
2. Same thing but I'm standing on what will be the path around the Butterfly enclosure. You can see the Pussywillows on the left in the photo.
3. This is the elderberry tree, from this angle I can see I have a lot more clearing to do.
4.

Hi Adina, you know how it is. Nothing going on for weeks at a time, then everything comes at you all at once. We've been trying to get the Farmer's Market going since last March. The city just keeps finding more fees to charge. Sigh.

The BEES is in the early stages of clearing and planning. I have been removing the dead brush, and planning on where to put things like the waterfall, and koi pond. There will be a small brook that feeds into the pond from the waterfall. I kind of have the boundaries figured out, but am waiting til this fall when things are cooler and I have some help to start moving things around. I lost my apprentices, when school started. I'll get 'em back when they are on break from school.

I figure I can start marking off the space during Pumpkin Patch season when I'm out there anyway. I'll also have my boys around and will try to get them to help out too.

You know Adina, I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time, and I really looked hard at the farm to find the right location. I hope by sharing what I'm doing on this thread, my friends at DG will help me get it right. So, I hope that everyone reading/following this thread will feel free to make suggestions, and give advice, or even share what you might think will make it a better experience for people of all ages. :-)

I promised more photos of the BEES. These were taken at the end of April. It's so weird that these photos show a lot more green than the previous set taken at the beginning of March, when it's normally the other way around.

1. This is the slope where the waterfall will be.
2. Same thing but I'm standing on what will be the path around the Butterfly enclosure. You can see the Pussywillows on the left in the photo.
3. This is the elderberry tree, from this angle I can see I have a lot more clearing to do.
4. It was a pleasant surprise to find this wild nicotiana growing in the BEES.
5. I'm not sure what this ferny plant that's growing under the elderberry is, but I kind of like it.

I have a few more photos to post so I'll be right back.

WIB~
SW

Okay, I am still in late April of this year with these photos.

1. This is a close up of the ferny plants growing under the elderberry.

2. Here's DH sitting on my tree bench, taking a look at my vision of a butterfly site.

3. This is the second elderberry tree. I kind of like the graceful curves on these old dead branches.

4. One of my favorite spring flowers which is not growing in the Bees area is this beautiful MonkeyPod flower. I wonder if I can find seed and encourage it to grow up above the waterfall on that slope?

5. This last photo is of a plant I really love. It's the common buckwheat plant. I just adore the pink coloration on the buds. The flowers are often heart shaped, and when in full bloom the flowers turn white. This stuff grows all over the farm, including in the BEES area. :-)

I probably won't be able to add photos in the next few days. Although I do have a lot more to share. I have a project or two I have to have ready for this Saturday, before we go to visit Mom at her board and care, and I'm working on a really big art project for Christmas time. I'm making Paper Mache Snow People. I don't know exactly what I'm doing, so I'm taking photos as I go. :-|

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys seeing the photos of the BEES area. You folks sharing your ideas, really helps me keep the momentum going. I even asked DH to get me some Alfalfa seed. Thanks for the suggestion pollengarden.

I just figured out where I'm going to plant some hollyhock next year. Thanks for seeds Nancy! :-)

That's it for now. I'm tuckered out, and I still have a lot to do tonight.

WIB~
SW

Jules,

Just after reading your post and admiring the photos I ran across this pretty Eriogonum grande rubescens red buckwheat. I bet it would grow well in your BEES site. Another plant that comes to mind is ammi majus. Here is the link to Annies that I found the buckwheat on and I'll attach a photo... it's a beautiful color.

Nancy

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/general/lst.gen.asp?prodid=1485&prp_av=2

Nancy,
That's a great suggestion! I really like the way it looks. Of course I'm a bit partial to pink flowers, but I really do like the foliage.

I appreciate the link to Annie's too.

I managed to compress 25 years of family photos into one album, so Mom will know who we are when we visit. I still have to do the captions, and make something sweet for the folks at her B+C for a treat. I'm thinking lemon bars would be a nice change.

Please keep the suggestions coming.

WIB~
SW

Jules, lovely photos! Nancy's too, what a beautiful plant!
Great idea of making an album for your Mom. Send her my best.

Adina

Hi Everyone!

The album idea was my SIL's. We saw Mom on Saturday. She is doing so much better. :-)
We're having to track down paperwork for her, and I'm hopeful we can find the information that is required. My SIL got online yesterday, and discovered all kinds of crucial information that we needed. I really admire people who know where to go, and how to frame their questions. on the web.

The old ladies loved the treat I made for them last month. I guess they had it finished in a day and a half. I always loved to bake, and now I have an appreciative crowd to cook for. :-) I made lemon bars on this trip.

Mom is able to feed herself, but she seems adrift in time. She says the funniest things, and I think some of it was wishful thinking, and some of it may have really happened. I don't for an instant think she knows how to pilot a plane. Although it is remotely possible. I do kind of believe that she was hit by a truck driven by a cousin and her arms were broken. I'm just surprised she never spoke of it. I'm very pleased with the improvements she's made.

You know, I'm feeling really nostalgic today. I can't help but reflect that if not for our parents, we wouldn't be where we are today.

I'm so grateful that I learned things from both of my parents that made me the person I am today. It's not that I'm all that wonderful, it's that they taught me that anything I want is achievable with hard work. Which is something to reflect upon, given that this is Labor Day.

Tomorrow, it's back to work. :-)

WIB~
SW

Those are lovely sentiments Jules and I would agree wholeheartedly.... -:) Nancy

My Mom is 94 and hasn't driven a car in 35 years. But once upon a time back in the 40's, she did indeed know how to fly a plane. It is one of the things my father and she did for dates, take flying lessons. Different generation.

You know, pollengarden, I've thought about it, and it is possible that Mom met crop dusters and barn stormers in her youth, but she would have talked about it as an adult. I'm sure it would have been so memorable that she would have mentioned it when we were talking about her childhood and teen years. It's okay though, DH's best friend's Dad thinks he's an astronaut.
I hope if I start loosing my place in time, that people will take whatever I say with good humour.
Sometimes, I wonder if she's not pulling my leg to see if she can't get a rise out of me. :-)

Speaking of Memories, though, I was writing to a friend of mine who recently visited Carson City Nevada. It was a really bad time for my family, when we lived there, but in some ways I came away with good memories of living in the area. Like my first encounter with caterpillars.

Across the street from the house we lived in was a small church school. They didn't mind kids coming over after school to play on the swings. When I was sad, I used to like to swing. One day, when I was feeling particularly sad, I went to the play ground. I was not really swinging, but sort of letting gravity move me, when much to my delight, I found a caterpillar crawling on me. Several more fell out of the tree whose canopy was partially over the swings. I played with those delightful fuzzy black and green caterpillars for days. They tickled and for some reason I found that enchanting.

I never did find out what they were, I do remember that it was during the summer break from school. I never did find out what kind of tree they were in either, but they sure did bring some happiness into my life that memorable day.

I hope that the next time we are out that way, that I can convince DH to take a small side trip so I can see if the caterpillar tree is still there.

Work is progressing on the BEES. I have been moving some of the plants intended for the BEES out to the front of where the Farmer's Market will be. The FM is new to our farm. The Market Manager, Paul was wanting some plants to put out for landscaping.

So I took out some of the mystery plant, which has been ID'd (thanks Annie!) as a Christmas Cassia. I received the seed several years ago, and the lable as well as the sender's name were lost. I was really surprised when just about every single seed sprouted. I've been sharing the plants with the B.fly gardeners here in CA. I am so happy that I don't have to fret about watering the plants out there. We got them hooked up to auto irrigation. :-)

I'll have photos to post soon of the FM.

I've been busy collecting seed, and transplanting volunteers, as well as continuing to work on my 'Snow People' project. It's going slow, but I'm getting there. For some reason, it's taking me forever to get the wire form done.

Thanks for your comments Nancy, and pollengarden. :-)

WIB~
SW

Good news about your Mom feeling so well. You are such a good daughter and a great heart for sharing the treats.
Are you still enjoying touching those hairy caterpillars? I am taking worms or caterpillars from my plants, but I just throw them away fast...yuck!LOL
I thought you would enjoy seeing the winners of the County Fair photo contest...I'm one of them! I won 1 first place and two 3rd places, yeaaaah! Just go down the page and click on each category. I won the fresh fruit one.

http://davesgarden.com/contest/dg-county-fair-2014/

Adina

I am finally getting back to you with suggestions for butterfly plants. This is from Rick Mikula's "Family Butterfly Book", c2000, p.26 "Best Regional ... California, NV, & AZ":
Anise Swallowtail - Anise, carrot, dill, fennel, parsley
California Dogface - Clover, false indigo, pea
Red Admiral - Hop, nettle
Two-tailed Swallowtail - Ash, hop tree, wild plum
West Coast Lady - Hollyhock, mallow
Western Tiger Swallowtail - - Aspen, cherry, poplar, wild plum, willow
Nectar: Bloodflower, butterfly bush, lantana, pentas, scabiosa, and strawberry

And here is a link to a list of Butterflies supposedly found in Riverside county:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/checklists?species_type=0&tid=407
from: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/

If you don't mind some off-season research, compare it to the next county (or counties) with climate most similar to yours and take off any butterflies not found in both (or all). Then you can look up their host plants individually.

Note: Lantana is a great butterfly attractant, but it has berry-like seeds that are poisonous, so you need to keep it dead-headed, or planted out of reach of children. The author's personal favorite is Pentas, I have no experience with it since it doesn't grow in Colorado.

Adina, For some reason, (probably because they keep closing the photo contest voting early), I've kind of lost interest. You know how I feel about competing. Still though I usually try to look through the entries. I guess I just haven't had time this year. Anyway, Congratulations! I'm always happy to see your photos but it's really special when others acknowledge the quality of your work. :-)

pollengarden, thanks for putting so much time into looking up this information. I'll end up rereading it, because it's a lot to take in all at once. Wow, what a great resource you and all the other DG gardeners are. I will do my homework, even though I don't think we really have an off season. We are getting ready for vacation at the beach, and then we open the Pumpkin Patch the first week in October. Followed by Christmas Trees in Nov-Dec. Then we plant new trees in January. February is spent moving the bees to the fields and groves for pollination. I think we're going into our busy time of year. Although, it probably just seems that way right now. We are putting the bees to bed for the winter. We check and make sure they have enough to eat, medicate them, and give them pollen for a boost. Normally during the spring and summer the bees are busy working the flowers. The past couple of years we haven't done well at all due to the drought. This year thanks to our March rain, we actually made some honey. :-) Next year if we get even normal rainfall, we'll be sitting pretty, and be able to pay off the bills we've got. Being optimistic again. :-)
Sorry, back on topic, I have a file that I'm copying all the information I can find about California Native Butterflies, and I'll be adding your suggestions and the links you provided me. :-)
I will be spending time the next couple of weeks figuring out what I need to plant this coming year to attract more native butterflies to my gardens.

I have a small story to share with you all.

When I was about 10 years old, we moved from CA, to NV. First we lived in a small farming community called Garderville, but we moved a few months later to Carson City. Which even though it was the state capitol, was really just a small town at heart. (This is something like 40+ years ago now). It was a lonely time for me, moving so much made it hard to make and keep friends.

Across the street from the house we lived in was a small church school. They didn't mind kids coming over after school to play on the swings. When I was sad, I used to like to swing. One day, when I was feeling particularly sad, so I went to the play ground. I was not really swinging, but sort of letting gravity move me, when much to my delight, I found a caterpillar crawling on me. Several more fell out of the tree whose canopy was partially over the swings. I played with those delightful fuzzy black and green caterpillars for days. They tickled and for some reason I found that enchanting.

I never did find out what they were, I do remember that it was during the summer break from school. I never did find out what kind of tree they were in either, but they sure did bring some happiness into my life that memorable day.

Perhaps that is part of my attachment to the butterflies, that I think that caterpillars are often just as beautiful as the butterfly they become. Not always, but lots of them are. :-)

I have some exciting news to share on the next post.

WIB~
SW

I wonder if they were from a catalpa tree, the Fishbait Tree?

I don't know what the tree was, kittriana. It could have been a mulberry. I'm planning on going back there and looking for it on our next trip through the area. One good thing has come from going through Mom's paperwork. I've the addresses of places we used to live. :-) Yup, even though I know it won't be the same, I still want to go back and visit.

A week ago last Wednesday(9-10-14), I wanted to go and check the plants out by the Farmer's Market we are starting. I was wondering why the one milkweed plant was looking so ragged. Well, as I was looking at the plant I found a caterpillar, not just any cat, but a Monarch cat. I was so happy and excited I was literally jumping up and down and throwing my hands in the air. I wasn't shouting though, my throat has been kind of sore, and only my dogs were around, so I didn't.
Since it was almost dark, I took a couple of blurry photos, and then found a container to put the cats in. After collecting the 2 cats I spotted, I brought them home and gave them each their own MW plant to climb around on. :-D
The next morning I went back out and found one more. Paul (the FM Manager) told me he saw about 6 of them the day before. I looked all over and didn't see any more. I asked Paul to let me know if he spots any more. I'll bring them home, and see what else hatches out, out there. I figure they were on the plants when I bought them. They are pretty big cats.
I've checked daily for the cats. The first two days they were still crawling around on the milkweed. Then they vanished. I figure that either a bird ate them, or they've gone into their next stage of life. They were pretty big so they were probably ready to change. So I've been looking for their cocoons. Haven't spotted them yet, but it's a jungle out there. I am worried that I won't be here to see them fly. :-(
For once I don't want to go to the beach. This is unheard of!
DH and I go the beach for 2 weeks every Sept.-Oct. This year when we go down there, I've arranged to meet up with another DG gardener who has b.flys. Not just any b.flys, but Monarchs. :-) She says she'll give some cats or a cocoon on a chopstick. :-) I'm hoping she will like the Maypops passiflora I want to gift her with. She wants to have visits from the Gulf Frits.
I found some GF cats on the Passiflora last week. That made me happy since I hadn't seen any for awhile. Today I was out searching for them, and spotted a wasp. While I was taking a photo of the wasp, I saw a cat crawling around. They are so funny. The vines have been growing, and the vines in one pots got tangled with the vines in another pot during our t.storm on Tuesday. They are climbing from one plant to the other using the vine bridge. I'll be keeping an eye out on them. :-)
Photos~
1. Blurry photo taken after I quit jumping for joy~
2. Another blurry photo.
3. Using the flash hoping to improve the clarity.
4. In the container.
5. The last was taken after I had successfully transferred the cat to the MW.
More photos soon.
WIB~
SW

bad wasps kill all of my butterfly caterpillars they can get to. and they're greedy they don't just stop with one

Congrats on your caterpillars!
Leaves are already starting to turn here, so too late for cats here except the few winter-hardy ones

kitt, do the wasps lay eggs in the caterpillar or in the chrysalis? Either way, I really have to get my Cat cage finished, or use the little one. I won't be here for the next two weeks to take care of them anyway, so it's okay for now, but next year, I'll be ready.

Thanks for the Congrats, I'm sure if you'd been there when I made the discovery, I'd of grabbed your hands, and we both would have been jumping for joy. :-)

I came back to post more photos, including the photo of the wasp. :-)

1. This is where I released the first cat.

2. Gosh he sure is pretty!

3. A photo of the jungle they were released in.

4. This is the third cat in the container I brought him home in.

5. I released him on a different MW plant in the jungle.

There are more photos coming. :-)

WIB~
SW

More photos!

1. The third cat seen in a close up.

2. And another of the same cat.

3. One of the first cat just hanging around. :-)

4. Or maybe he's looking for shade? Playing hide and seek?

5. This is his MW plant.

More photos to follow.

WIB~
SW

More photos.

1. Photo of GF cat taken last week on one of the passiflora.

2. The passionflower.

3. Those little guys sure are cute.

4. Just to switch things up, how about a pretty red dragonfly?

5. A close up. I really like this photo. Look at his lacy wings! So pretty.

Still more to come. :-)

WIB~
SW