a morning in the garden June 29, 2007
Posted by Sandy in a small garden in maine, butterflies.trackback
I took this shot yesterday, but really am not seeing many butterflies in my garden this year. This is the first day cool enough to work outdoors, so I am going out this morning to see what I can do to make the garden a little more attractive to butterflies and dragonflies. Swallowtails and monarchs are in the area, I see them in the air, but nothing is stopping. Maybe creating a few wet spots will help, and the fact that more things are blooming each day now, might bring in a few more. Last year, I had an abundance of flying things in the garden with me, while I worked.
Another subject-my friend Carol up in Phippsburg, Maine wrote me yesterday to say that she still has her northern orioles. They are feeding out of the hummingbird feeder. The hummers don’t seem to mind them, even though they are quite messy. Does anyone else have this going on?
Hey, I just planted a coreopsis like that! We don’t get lots of butterflies until later in the summer. I’m thinking late July they start appearing en masse. So it might not be a question of attracting them, they just might not be around yet. But still add things to attract them. I was poking around in the shed last weekend looking for something to make a shallow mud puddle in. I think I’m going to buy a big terra cotta pot bottom for that purpose.
meredith, that is most likely what I will use, too. I hope it doesn’t dry out too fast. What I would really like is a large rock with a dip in the top that I coud fill with water, and then add a few small stones for the butterflies to perch on. I know it isn’t too likely that I will find anything like that, though. Maybe I will take up chiselling!
I did see a Painted Lady in the garden today. Tomorrow, I will post some shots of it. You are probably right, it is just too early to see many. The milkweed is just starting to flower, and the coneflowers and liatris are still aways off.
Hi Sandy,
It’s interesting that you are not seeing many butterflies. I was just thinking earlier today that I have been seeing more than normal!
Hummers are a different story. So far I have only seen one. I don’t have any hummingbird feeders so I only see them when I have flowers they like.
Your blanket flowers are very pretty. I have never had any luck with them.
Lovely! We have clouds of these small white butterflies, or cabbage worms, down here in the mid-atlantic region. I just posted a similar shot (but on nettles) last week. Great minds and all that…!
Sandy, I haven’t seen many butterflies, either. It’s been too dry. I’m seeing more dragonflies and a few more butterflies around the pond but not like last year. We just can’t keep enough water on the plants. This drought….hmmmpf! At 5:30 a.m. it’s 70 degrees already.
I love this shot, Sandy!
I have had few butterfly spottings this summer, although it is still early. We’ve had so much rain this summer that I’ve put it down to that!
stunning photo!