Black Swallowtail on parsley

As with the Giant Swallowtail message above, I often see these butterflies visiting the nectar bushes in my yard. I wanted them to hang around more, so I planted several varieties of parsley here. With the harsh sun we have in the summer, it's difficult, at best, to grow parsley in the yard. I planted each variety of parsley between taller bushes and in the shade of these bushes. I have taller bushes scattered all around the yard to create shade so there was not a lack of shade to plant in. It worked! This is the first Black Swallowtail cat I have spotted, and it's on ordinary parsley. I will keep a lookout and see if the other varieties of parsley produce cats as well.
Art

Hey, I'm going to plant some parsley now too! :-)

OK, good suggestion...I'm going out today to get some more parsley... forgot to plant some this spring, but last year I had a lot of BF action on mine!

Mine just died, suddenly! I have had trouble with parsley before tho, so I think it's our heat. I rarely have BST's use mine tho, they always go for the green fennel, so I'll just stick with that.

Hi Art,

Thanks for showing me the way over here. You garden just like I do. It there isn't enough shade, plant something taller next to it to make some shade. (My Nancy's Revenge is getting sunburned so now I have to make some shade for her)

The cat's don't seem to care for my parsley either. They are just after the green fennel. And that's okay with me. Now my parsely is getting a little sunburned. I'll have to plant something taller there, the basil died back and left the sun there.

Molly
:^)))

Hi Molly, are you the Molly friend that Happy_1 wants to bring over to my house for a visit? How about that if you are. Looking forward to seeing you two and showing you around my yard, getting you some cuttings, etc.
On planting the yard, I didn't have too much choice. I had to plant around the perimeter due to the layout of the pool (direct middle), drain field (on the right) and former overhead incoming utility lines (on the left.) Additionally my entire east border is a three height wall dividing my property with three business properties on the other side of the walls. Planting tall bushes kind of breaks up the effect of the walls. It also gave me a background so I could plant going forward into the yard (eventually) and eliminate more and more grass. Since it's so big I had to use large bushes to take up space. Otherwise it would look as though there was nothing here. The wall size is 260' long. Last but not least is my sprinkler system. You can imagine how bad the wall would look with all the nasty rust looking stains the well water makes. Had to hide that, and almost do. Laugh!
Art

Hi Art,

Yep, I'm Molly, one and the same. Over here on the east side of 95. Happy_1 mentioned you. She also mentioned the possiblity of organizing a S. Fla Roundup for November. That would be so cool.

Happy went to the Okeechobee roundup with me in February. I met Cyberageous who lives in Plantation and the middle of the everglades. She has a tree farm out there. I think we really must get together and meet and see one anothers gardens. I am a plant hog and I have lots of stuff that I like to share.

And if you haven't found the place yet, you must make a trip to Living Color over on Griffin Road. We could all go there!!!!

Molly
:^)))

I have been to a few native plant sales at the Secret Woods center, is that what you mean by a roundup? If so, I'm game for it. I enjoy getting out and looking for new plants, especially native butterfly attracting native plants.

Yes I have been to Living Color, but not in the last year. It's always a nice area to brouse and get plant ID info. They have a great selection and friendly salespeople. I have not been there since before the new building was occupied.

Take a look at the pics I have posted to see if there is anything I have you might want. If so, I will grow some for you, if I don't have extras growing already. I am only posting pictures of plants worthy of having their picture taken (in bloom) so I have three or four times the plants shown. Then there are the plants I have in containers around the pool, on the fences, growing in palm trees and under our shade canopy. Lots of them.

Looking forward to getting together with you two.

Art