A Monarch Butterfly on Ageratum 'Blue Horizon'

This summer we have contended with a number of periods of extremely hot weather. We have been fortunate to receive some breaks of cool days and significant rain that have kept the gardens and lawns from absolutely baking but still, I complain when the hot days are here! This week we have had several still, sunny days in the upper 80s-low 90s and it absolutely saps my energy and kills any creative thoughts that might flit through my brain. Fortunately, Fred, one of the incredible, talented, furniture painters from inside, has recently sent me wonderful pictures of butterflies in the gardens. I often see Fred roaming the grounds on his breaks or during his lunch camera in hand;  I am lucky enough to have him send the pictures so that I can feature them in my blog.

A Black Swallowtail caterpillar at home in the Bus Stop Garden

Our gardens are incredibly lively! We have beautiful butterflies that savor the nectars of the Monarda, Verbena, Salvia, Echinacea, and Ageratums. We have so many nectar producing plants; the flowers are always abuzz! There have been times that I have been working in the Long Border among the Monarda only to feel like I am in the center of a WWII dog fight as the hummingbirds fight and dive for ALL of the sweetness. The buzzing and the scolding are very entertaining. We have had great success with honey bees pollinating our pumpkins and squashes in the new Pumpkin Patch. Next season we are planning to have some hives on property to help increase bee count.

Ruby Throated Hummingbirds buzz my head in the Long Border

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly on Verbena bonariensis flower

Our Bus Stop Garden with its bold Rudbeckia and Buddleia inadvertently became a butterfly garden. I originally designed it to house the brightest colors on campus. It is there that I placed the goldy Black-eyed Susans, the orangey daylilies, the bright red crocosmias .I used the dark purple of annual and perennial salvias and butterfly bush to set it all off. It became a haven for the butterflies that could find refuge in the nearby meadow. Now it is all a flutter!

Red Admiral Butterfly on Buddleia

When I first began the blog, Fred provided most of the photos; of late, he has been so busy decorating the wonderful creations that he found himself less able to provide the shots I needed to bring the gardens to the blog. I grabbed a point and shoot camera and hoped for the best. So, inspired by Fred’s latest email, I am dedicating this blog to his marvelous photography. As you will see, in this case, the flora takes second place to the fauna. His shots are so exquisite that I doubt many of us have seen the beauty he has captured. You can see more of Fred’s fantastic shots here 

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth feeding at a Buddleia flower in the Bus Stop Garden

Sunrise over the pond at MacKenzie-Childs