August 2010: Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

Having been away from home for what seems like most of the summer, I was really looking forward to getting home on Friday to see what my garden has been up to.

Just about everything that was in bloom in July is still blooming now (please see My July Gardens for photos). Things look almost the same, only a little more 'floppy' and messy since they've gotten taller and it's rained on and off, through the heat and dry spells.

Some plants that were not yet in bloom or have gotten much fuller are the Japanese Anenome:

(butterflies really seem to enjoy this):

as well as the Verbena bonariensis--which have all developed from last years plants that have re-seeded:

(butterflies are attracted to the Verbena, as well):

*I'm not certain of the identity of these small ones--perhaps fritillaries or skippers. If you want to talk with a knowledgeable butterfly-expert, Randy of Randy & Meg's Garden Paradise is the one to talk to. I don't think there is a single one he can't identify!

Some of my Liriope are now in bloom, (although I'm still waiting on the variegated ones.  I plan to dig these green ones out eventually):

The lone Cardinal Flower that I planted has finally come into bloom:

and the late-summer-blooming Heliopsis scabra 'Summer Sun' is out:

Anise Hyssop (Agastache) seems to be the plant that has taken off every where I've planted it...the front, side and back yards:

It is loaded with Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and other butterflies:

and did I mention the Agastache?!

Oh, and the Swallowtails...Sorry that I seem to keep repeating myself here!

Black Form of Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (only 1 row of dots)...Black Swallowtail butterfly has 2 rows with a second row above the blue coloring.

After our week in Maine, I came back to see if any of the Black Swallowtail caterpillars had formed pupas. (I had to move all of the pots into the garden where the sprinkler could give them some water while we were away).

I had put netting around the parsley so that the cats would be protected. I hoped they would be able to crawl out and attach themselves to things and pupate. (My previous post and the one before that chronicles the development of the cats).

After doing a thorough search, I found just this one chrysalis. (I'm hoping there were more and I just missed them):

I took the netting down when we went on our next trip, as there were no more cats and they had eaten all of the parsley. After being gone another two weeks in Europe, the pupa was empty when I got home:

So I'm left to wonder which of the Swallowtails fluttering around my yard came from that pupa!There are large numbers of each variety of swallowtails in my garden...(Black Swallowtails, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, and Spicebush Swallowtails)--although I couldn't find anything to photograph for this post other than the Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, both yellow and black forms. But I know the Black Swallowtails are out there somewhere! (Just not in these pictures!).

LASTLY, on to the cucumbers--which produced a few more fruits during the two weeks we were away:

...please pardon the color quality on the following photos; it doesn't effect the flavor at all:-)

And one more thing: did I mention there are TONS of Swallowtail butterflies hanging out here?!

(Sorry--I couldn't help myself).

I don't know why it has taken the cosmos so long to start to do anything. They were planted months ago!

And Why On Earth is my Azalea blooming? It's a spring-only bloomer. The humid weather must have confused it! This has never happened before--this bush has been here for at least ten years!

Plants currently blooming but not shown in photos:

Coreopsis 'Limerick Ruby'
Coreopsis tickseed 'Rising Sun'
Salvia greggi 'Flame' and 'Wild Thing'
Salvia 'May Night'
Salvia 'Mystic Spires'
Lavendar - several varieties
Buddleia - several varieties
Heliopsis scabra 'Summer Sun'
Veronica 'Icicle'
Veronica 'Royal Candles'
Potentilla 'Melton Fire'
Carpet roses, Pink and Red
Black Eyed Susan
Gaura - Pink and White
Shasta Daisies
Helianthus
Phlox - several varieties (Pink and Purple)
Zinnia - several varieties and colors
Plumbago
Coneflowers (ALL, except Coconut Lime)
Lobelia
Blanket Flower
...and MORE

*FIVE varieties of Asclepias (Milkweed) have been growing but as yet, NONE are in bloom! Not sure what the problem is. Obedient Plant is growing but is still not blooming--I think it's overdue.

To view beautiful gardens around the world, visit Carol's May Dreams Gardens every month on the 15th.



Today I am thankful for more butterflies in my garden than I can count (but I am trying!).

Words and photos ©Thanks For Today, by Jan Huston Doble

Swallowtail Butterfly Cats!

A week or so ago I watched this lovely lady zip around my garden.

Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly on Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Plumbago)

Here she is, below, on my Lamium (Spotted Dead Nettle).

I was hoping she would find the pot of parsley on my deck.

As you can see, she did! Or if it wasn't her, it was one of her counterparts, a black swallowtail or eastern swallowtail butterfly. I have seen all 3 varieties at one time or another.

I found 6 of these little pearl-like eggs!

The next day--just yesterday--I went to check on them, and they looked like this.

Overnight, the caterpillars inside grew so much the eggs looked like drops of mercury upon the leaves!

Yesterday afternoon, I checked on them again.

Can you believe that during the day, those cats had eaten through the egg casing and were sitting on the leaves, munching away?! They were no more than 1/8th of an inch in size. Guess how many I counted? TEN! Those eggs are so tiny I apparently missed some when I first counted--even with my reading glasses on;-)

I will be watching these babies as they grow, and hope that they will survive and become large swallowtail cats, then pupate, and become butterflies themselves. I will try to take pictures as it happens, but I am going to be away from home on and off and may end up missing some of it. I'll certainly document what I see while I'm here, though! *These cats are Black Swallowtails, so the Spicebush Swallowtail pictured above is NOT their mama (thanks to Randy of Randy and Meg's Garden Paradise).

Hope you are having a wonderful summer!

Today I am thankful for the small miracles that happen every day!

Words and photos ©Thanks For Today, by Jan Huston Doble