I've seen a swallowtail or monarch fly through off and on the last 2 weeks but nothing sticking around even though there's different blooms all over. Then today there were multiple varieties and for the most part kept going back and forth between a Harlequin buddleia (which always seems to be the preference for yellow swallowtails) and one particular clump of phlox. Although there's a lot of phlox all around the yard.
There was one oddball that decided to work some purple magnus
phlox
harlequin
mo'phlox
last one
I'm starting to see a few more, too. I had some tiger swallowtails and monarchs. And a few cats on the milkweed. Along with the hummingbird moths. And two hummingbirds have been eating at the garden and the feeders. Makes me very happy.... My garden is small, but it brings me a bunch of happiness. :)
Amen!!
Your garden is a success then! Only other gardeners understand how awesome it is to go outside and see how ALIVE your garden is, with butterflies, birds, bees, moths, hummers, toads, etc. etc. :))
Love the pics 8ft! The phlox is one of my favs this year too.
Your pictures are all beautiful. Here is one of the group that have been daily visitors for the last two weeks in the flower garden.
konkrete... talk about hitting the nail on the head. Thats the best statement I've ever heard I think. I 'work' out there every day but it's all the little things I get to see when I pause.
Green - another great pic. Is that one of the newer echinacea? Like Ruby star or something? I don't know why the swallows just ignore them here.
This message was edited Aug 2, 2005 8:59 AM
In Blaines garden they are at a buffet just for them!
How could they resist a treat like this. I predict he will have hundreds!
sidney
in my dreams... maybe because I'm an isolated pocket in this suburban desert but I never see great numbers. A couple of years ago there was a crowd of viceroy or painted lady (not sure) that swarmed the lazy susans for a week.
Yes you are an Oasis in a northern gardening desert!
I am sure you will still get more than any of your neighbors.
Do you think that fellow directly in front of you mows in strips just to bug you? LOL
sidney
that time might've been just a path to get around the house.
Or when it gets that long you can only do one pass then rest up for a day or too. Especially since he tries to do it in the middle of the day.
8ft...that's the part that I just LOVE about my flowers, the whole other world that is going on inside them. So much to do, so many places for them to go, busy, busy, busy! I just watch and occassionally talk to them. :)
Sidney, I love that color combo! I will be adding some yellow next to my purple thingy too. (can not remember what that plant is called!) What is the yellow flower? I have tried several varieties of Rudbeckia and it's just the one thing I can't seem to keep alive. I must have some tho!
You mean 'Rude Becky' doesn't like there in TX? I'll call her that because she likes to muscle her way in and dominate if you let her go to seed. There's a lot of it going away this fall as she's colonized a long swath in one bed. If not mistaken, this is just the Rubeckia Hirta "Lazy Susan". I've also got 'Autumn Sun' which blooms at 6"+ and another that blooms tall like that as well. Forget that name.
Maybe you want some sacrificial lambs ? The only problem I've ever had was a few clumps took exception to our mini-monsoon May04.
A monarch was everywhere today. Didn't catch it though. Three ST's decided Black Knight was the only thing in town. Thought I had a shot of 2 on the same bloom and when I downloaded, all I had was a bumblebee (which is a good thing too).
I thought this would be clearer
Fantastic.
Well, they have certainly been rude in my garden too! I think leaving so soon is unacceptable. Maybe I'm just not putting them in at the right time of year. I should try some seeds this fall and see if they come up and do better.
Love that butterfly! Your bloom is nice and big! Mine were huge early in the Spring but not as big since.
KK - shoot ours just started blooming a couple of weeks ago. They die back to the ground each winter so they spend the first couple months getting some height back.
8ft & Konkrete, I cut ours back each spring, and the first blooms are always big, and now they're smaller. I have Rude Becky's everywhere. They are one of my favorite flowers. However, the Black-Eyed Susans have intentions to take over the garden, I think. They tent o spread every year. Here are a couple of pics I took earlier in this week in my garden
#2
#3
#4
Red!! Great shots!!
I hear ya on ole Rude Becky. Right now there's such a long beautiful swath and they do cast such dense shade they even thwart the quack grass thats tried to get started in that bed. But I need to do some serious editing this fall. If I had a bigger lot (or a couple acres) I'd let them colonize a whole area.
What's that little guy in the first shot again? I've noticed more of those this year but haven't attempted a shot yet.
Are 2 and 3 on Joe Pye or Sedum heads? This is my 2nd year for some Gateway JP and it's got 8 or 9 heads but I haven't seen any visitors on it. Yet the alleged attraction to butterflys is why I planted it.
If and when you have more.... go ahead and post 'em.
blaine
I think he is called a Hummingbird Moth. Also known as a Sphinx moth. We noticed them last year for the first time, and they came back this year. They are cute! They're wings beat real fast.
and that plant is my Joe Pye Weed. It has just opened up - its about 8 feet tall - at least. And the butterflies and bees do frequent it. Its right next to three of my butterfly bushes, and they alternate. I think next year I might get a chocolate JPW. I just didn't realize how darn big they got. lol I like it b/c its a later bloomer.
I'll try to pick a couple more pics later.... I have a ton of them.
In case you haven't seen chocolate before it's much shorter and the foliage on mine starts going green when it blooms. I've got it in 3 places and one is about to go away. You want it... or some? Otherwise I was taking it in to our fall plant swap and giving it away.
I don't have macro ability but I saw two of my Mantis this afternoon.
Great mantis shot. They are such neat creatures. We always have one or so, but this year I haven't seen any adults. Took a pic of this little guy in June. He was only about an inch long, on a hosta spike. Becky
8ft, I would love some Chocolate JPW. I've never plant traded before, how does that work?
Both of your praying mantis pics are great! I only have a couple of pics so far this year, although I have seen a bunch around. You can barely see mine in my picture. Not a great contrast. We have some big ones. I even got jumped by one. I gently picked him up and put him (or her) back.
another view
Now thats what I'm talking about!!
Even though they are extreme predators the first word that popped into my mind when I saw Becky's shot was "precious". lol Especially since they're cannibalistic too.
Red, unless your addy is in the members list, send it to me via D-mail. Then don't worry about it. Some day I might be looking for something and you'll get a chance to return the favor. :)
Wow, thanks, 8ft! You should have mail. If I can ever retrun the favor, please let me know.
8ft, you said to send more pics. I haven't seen the monarchs for a couple days, but here are a couple of pics from today.
I thought the color on this one was nice. Very light, vibrant blue.
#2 - do you know what the difference is between the two here? Joe Pye Weed was popular today.....
#3
Pic #2 - if you're happy with the Joe Pye when you get next week (Wed or Thu), I'll take an 8x10 of that puppy!
I didn't take any flutterby shots today but had 3 monarchs (one was bigger than I've seen before), a couple of yellow swallowtails and 1 black. The swallowtails kept trying to run the monarchs off. Seems like that Black Knight was all they were interested in today. My JP heads don't look like that, so I guess they really haven't opened yet.
Beautiful shots Peggy.
blaine
Deal, Blaine..... I'll get the 8" x 10" - I'll need your address, then, too. I had tons today - I counted like 11 Swallowtails, mixed between the yellow & black, and the female bluish ones. Then later in the evening, about 7:30 pm I saw two monarchs. I love just sitting and watching these days. A flurry of activity. And I always love those hummingbird moths. I'm not sure if I shared the aeroplane one from last year - I'll try to find it. The hummingbirds are too fast for me on the plants. Ihave a few pics on the feeder, but I want some with more natural appeal. I am waiting until my arbor grows over so I can hide and snap them in action.
Here's the flying hummingbird moth:
I was just hiding the DD's alarm clock in the garage. About to leave for college and I told her the next time she stayed out and that clock went off I was going to shoot it with my pellet gun. Listening to the roosters in the distance and looking at everything in bloom before going back in, my hummer zoomed in to view. I thought maybe it had left, since I hadn't seen it in awhile. Tasted two different black knights but kept hovering and looking around then buzzed off. I think it was looking for larkspur. It was on them everyday early morn and late afternoon.
