Gardening
The Butterflies Come.
August 11, 2010 01:46
As our garden grows, we're receiving more butterfly visitors. It’s always a thrill to see even the most common wildlife in our yard throughout the year -- rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, robins, cardinals, rolypoly bugs. Because of the plentiful catmint, coneflowers, roses and orange milkweed, we also see plenty of chubby bumblebees, the occasional goldfinch, and butterflies.
Lots of flowers in our front yard for butterflies and bees to love.Recently, as we approached our front sidewalk after a family stroll with the pup, I halted dog and husband as quietly as I could when I saw a beautiful Black Swallowtail butterfly land on a coneflower.
From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Weldon Springs Wildlife Scrapbook. 
A coneflower just like this one in our garden! In fact, it might have been this very blossom.We frequently see monarch butterflies on our flowers (did you know the monarch is the Illinois state insect?) and those fairy-like pale yellow sulphur butterflies that flit and dance in pairs from flower to flower.
Bees and butterflies love our butterfly weed.I feel honored when any butterfly visits the garden, because I have intentionally planted flowers they are known to enjoy. It’s gratifying to see mother nature’s creatures take pleasure from our garden. And this swallowtail was a rare and magical sight! We stood still and observed for the few moments it sipped at the flower’s sweetness, then it moved on. What a thrill! Do I ever have my camera with me when we get such an unusual visitor? Of course not. But I've decided the pleasure of seeing it with naked eye surpasses the privilege of capturing it through camera lens.
This morning, during another outing with The Pup, I spied a striking Tiger Swallowtail butterfly tasting a neighbor’s potted petunias.
From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Weldon Springs Wildlife Scrapbook.I watched for a few minutes, hoping I wouldn’t creep out the homeowners if they happened to see me standing on their sidewalk staring agog in the direction of their front door. When I figured I had stared long enough, we crossed the street to admire some apricot heirloom roses (which smelled absolutely dreamy! I want me some of those) ... and the swallowtail followed! It flitted, it floated, it fleetly fleed and then flew off.
Monarchs always remind me of that dear childhood book, The Butterflies Come, about which I'll share more later. Can you imagine seeing so many gorgeous butterflies in one place? And during October -- my favorite month!
From “In Search of the Monarch Butterfly in Monterey” at InsideBayArea.com.
The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere in Michoacan, Mexico from ScienceRay.com.Spectacular! But I’m happy with the few that bring simple enchantment to my garden.
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Ah, spring.
June 07, 2010 09:31
I know it's nearly summer, but I'm catching up and want to share some of what's been going on in our yard this spring.
Spring chives. I keep forgetting to eat them! I finally sprinkled some on scrambled eggs. Delish! And those pretty flowers are edible, too.
Spring brunnera ("siberian bugloss"). Their petite blue flowers remind me of sweet little fairies hanging delicately over the big heart shaped leaves. I adore them! And they are super easy to grow.
Spring blanket flower. A few years ago, I thought this was a weed and nearly pulled it up. Now it's blooming like crazy!
Frau Dagmar Hastrup rose -- a "rugosa" (shrub) rose bequeathed to me by a friend-of-a-friend whose yard was too shady.
The Frau is doing well in our front yard and is blooming sweetly. I'm so glad she likes it here.
I'm so very proud of these Joseph's Coat climbing roses -- I planted them only last year and they went wild this spring! The buds are lovely -- orange and apricot. And so prolific!
The fully opened roses turn yellow and pink. It's like having 2 or 3 different colors of roses on the same plant. The leaves have, unfortunately, succumbed to either bugs or disease or both. I'll be fighting that battle for with some organic sprays I'm mixing up with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap, baking soda, horticultural oil, and other enemies of bugs and fungus. My dream is that they will someday climb up and over our flower boxes, like these.
How gorgeous is wisteria? Let me count the ways! Alas, this is not in our yard but on a plain old brick wall surrounding a Northwestern University dorm complex that faces the lake (those lucky students). Every year I keep watch for the blooming wisteria.
So beautiful, like jewels spilling off a vine. And the scent is dreamy! Oh how I wish I could grow this against my house.
Spring Goddess, in repose among the wild ginger. The pattern is from Michelle Simkins. She was a ton of fun to knit and I'll be making more.
Spring Pup, in repose on the front steps.
I think my garden has had enough rain and would like to get on with summer. Let the countdown to June 21 begin!
Spring chives. I keep forgetting to eat them! I finally sprinkled some on scrambled eggs. Delish! And those pretty flowers are edible, too.
Spring brunnera ("siberian bugloss"). Their petite blue flowers remind me of sweet little fairies hanging delicately over the big heart shaped leaves. I adore them! And they are super easy to grow. Spring blanket flower. A few years ago, I thought this was a weed and nearly pulled it up. Now it's blooming like crazy!Frau Dagmar Hastrup rose -- a "rugosa" (shrub) rose bequeathed to me by a friend-of-a-friend whose yard was too shady.
The Frau is doing well in our front yard and is blooming sweetly. I'm so glad she likes it here.
I'm so very proud of these Joseph's Coat climbing roses -- I planted them only last year and they went wild this spring! The buds are lovely -- orange and apricot. And so prolific!
The fully opened roses turn yellow and pink. It's like having 2 or 3 different colors of roses on the same plant. The leaves have, unfortunately, succumbed to either bugs or disease or both. I'll be fighting that battle for with some organic sprays I'm mixing up with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap, baking soda, horticultural oil, and other enemies of bugs and fungus. My dream is that they will someday climb up and over our flower boxes, like these.
How gorgeous is wisteria? Let me count the ways! Alas, this is not in our yard but on a plain old brick wall surrounding a Northwestern University dorm complex that faces the lake (those lucky students). Every year I keep watch for the blooming wisteria.
So beautiful, like jewels spilling off a vine. And the scent is dreamy! Oh how I wish I could grow this against my house.
Spring Goddess, in repose among the wild ginger. The pattern is from Michelle Simkins. She was a ton of fun to knit and I'll be making more.
Spring Pup, in repose on the front steps.
I think my garden has had enough rain and would like to get on with summer. Let the countdown to June 21 begin!
Springtime in Who-ville.
May 25, 2009 05:18
by Aileen Fisher
Spring up, seedlings,
weedlings, clover!
Spring out, leaves,
now winter's over.
Spring up, green things!
There's a reason
Spring's the name
to fit the season.
Spring has been absolutely beautiful here in our corner of the midwest. Lush and green, with great weather -- a perfect mix of sunshine, decent temps (60s-70s), and necessary rain. Fragrant lilacs and viburnum abound in our neighborhood, along with magnolias, flowering fruit trees, and lots of tulips, grape hyacinth, lily of the valley, daffodils. My bleeding hearts surprised me by surviving some backyard construction work and a flood of woodchips that seeped under the fence from our neighbor’s yard. To me the bleeding heart is the prettiest old fashioned spring flower, even though it has no fragrance. I’m so happy to see them blooming again!
So many flowers around our neighborhood look like they could easily be home to the residents of Who-ville. I can see Horton
gingerly carrying one of them in his trunk, informing his jungle-mates "A person's a person, no matter how small."
Or in this case large, because no one could mistake these enormous allium for a tiny little clover with itty bitty Whos on it.
Chive blossoms make perfect Who-worlds, and they're tasty too.
A whole colony of Who-villes!
Is that whofoo fluff? Or fuzzle fuzz?
These rose buds could be fun, pointy Who-heads. Wait ... is that one ... smiling?
Surely this is inspiration for an unusual Who hairstyle.
Could Whos live inside these fluffly balls of viburnum? If so, they would be drunk on their heavenly fragrance!
I hope you've had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Although we've had cool sunny weather all weekend, today, in typical Memorial Day fashion, it rained.
Spring Cleaning in the Garden.
April 18, 2009 08:25
Sweet little primroses look on as the detritus of last year's growing season
collects on the front sidewalk.
Our big stripey kitty Mr. Sass loves to roll around in the fresh green grass!
He gets covered with dirt and is as happy as a ... well, as a cat in dirt.
