Monday, August 01, 2022

Heavy Air and Languorous Times

My garden is in full bloom and full of fairies. I have moved more and more to planting natives while I still cling to a few of the heavy feeders like my four roses. I avoid sprays at all times, unless terribly desperate. 

My native phlox and native penstemon are big addictions for butterflies, moths, and native bees. Feel free to click on photos and zoom in on the ones below to see better! On days when I feel that there is too much happening in the modern world, I take my camera and walk into the front driveway where the beds need trimming and weeding and plants need thinning and a sense of organization and I throw all those thoughts to the wind and below is what returns on the summer breezes.


The zebra swallowtail is a frequent visitor as we have paw paw trees where they lay their eggs.


I think this is one of the "elfin" butterflies that would have missed my attention had he not landed on the cover to the table.


The American Painted Lady (?) I think this one is a female and they love my Zinnia, a non-native annual.


A gorgeous show-off that always arrives in late July every summer.  Black Swallowtail.  Within weeks his elegant wings get tattered.


This Tiger Swallowtail is showing off against my sunflower plants on the back deck, placed where I can watch the Goldfinch eat.


My butterfly plant did well but has been eaten down to nubs and I had not luck with my Milkweed plant, but this rare Monarch still came for a visit to my Cosmos.



Above is a Skipper, maybe the common Roadside Skipper?


They are in beautiful abundance today after yesterday's rains.


In the very middle is the Hummingbird Moth which sounds much like a real hummingbird if he buzzes by your ear.

14 comments:

  1. Your garden and it's visitors are lovely. I do mostly native perennials too with a few annuals. Got to have zinnias. And my tropicals.

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  2. I am envious of your beautiful butterflies. It has been too hot to go out much the last six days, but finally today we are getting some cooling. I have one Western Swallowtail flitting about the garden and a few of those little white guys we always called cabbage moths. That's about it. Thanks for sharing yours.

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  3. Wow, how lucky to have all these butterflies. It's just beautiful.

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  4. Great shots of beautiful butterflies!

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  5. I saw a black swallowtail on a butterfly bush, as I walked by today. Glad to see the nectar is working its charms.

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  6. How beautiful the details of a butterfly are.

    Love,
    Janie

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  7. Lovely butterflies. This year we haven't had many tiger swallow tails or monarchs, but I live in hopes. Last year there were viceroys and commas and my favorite hummingbird moths. This year is much quieter.

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  8. I wish more people would plant native species.

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  9. Kudos to you for providing this habitat for butterflies, and your reward is evident. I think the butterfly in your second picture is a Banded Hairstreak

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  10. The butterflies are such glorious creatures. I love their resilience. They can be so tattered but keep doing their thing. Well done for helping them out as you do.

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  11. You do very well with butterflies. I’ve all but given up, albeit we don’t see many in our little plot.

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  12. My flower boxes and porch plants are all dying. I haven't seen a butterfly in ages. At least the hummingbirds are still arriving despite the heat.

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  13. Thank you for sharing your garden, Tabor! Your butterflies are splendid.

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Glad to hear from you once again. I really like these visits. Come sit on this log and tell me what you are thinking.