The butterfly garden.

[Debby]

I planted a garden to draw butterflys last year and it is starting to come into it's own. Here are a few photos of my "fun with native plants in the landscape" project. Please join in if you are using native plants and add your pictures to the post.

This zig zag fence was supposed to block the bitter winter wind that rushes around the edge of the barn and down the hill. It was only marginally effective in protecting the native rhododendrons which are still struggling, but it did make a nice spot for garden.

The American Hornbeam on the left doesn't show up well in this picture, but there are three of them that "anchor" the bed nicely. Two small wild roses, Caronina and Virginia in front of the fence on the left, are done blooming but getting some very pretty hips. Then lots of bee balm, liatris, echinacea, and agastachi (out of view behind the fence.) The Asian lilies aren't blooming yet. Non natives that I couldn't resist.

Really the liatris, echinacea and bee balm are the ones that are performing now:

A silver spotted skipper on bee balm 'raspberry wine'.

A great spangled fritillary:

This garden is loud with bees. Here's a green bee:

I wish I could have gotten a picture of the hummingbird chasing away the carpenter bees!

Hope you enjoyed.

Debby

 

[vfem]

Ooooooooh.... I did something similar, tried to chose only native plants that attracted bees, butterflies and birds.

The other day I went out and found 12 caterpillars:

Which I brought some inside and my daughter and I are watching them eat and build caccoons! They are going to become:

Your garden is a wonderful cycle of life and will support the animals in all their cycles. Isn't it exciting?!?!

 

[Debby]

Vfem,

That's great! Yes, it is very exciting even for an adult. Your daughter must be enthralled.

I think you might have a mild surprise coming. If I remember correctly, that is a black swallowtail caterpillar. I could be wrong.

What kind of plants? Dill? I have a hard time keeping my dill going. It has gone to seed and dried up already and I tried to dead head and water it. I understand that Queen Anne's lace and other carrot family plants will serve as hosts for black swallowtails. I have plenty of them, but don't find any caterpillars.

As I said, I have a windy spot and that is hard on flutterbys.

Debby

 

[DrakeMaiden]

It is so fun to see nature find your garden. I am working on getting my bee and butterfly garden going, but it hasn't been my highest priority. I think I have gotten more hummingbird planting done in the last few years, because this year the hummingbirds are really going to town on all the plants that I brought (from my old garden) just for them.

Debby -- what direction does the wind come from predominantly? From behind? Is there room to plant a wind break? I guess you would have to use coniferous trees, since the rhodies are getting beat up in the winter and maybe that isn't practical for your space? Do you think a deciduous wind break would help the butterflies use the space more often?

 

[Debby]

Drake Maiden,

That is a good suggestion. I haven't worked on it in a while--maybe I'll get back on it in the fall tree planting season.

The wind is Westerly and I've started planting a wind block in that direction. I have two rows of evergreens on the other side of the "front yard." I feel like I've put in a huge amount of work and it hardly makes a dent! It is a big space and the twenty everygreens, some of which are pretty small--some of which are dead , three american mt. ash and two american beech just sort of get lost in the sauce.

Here's my biggest Douglas Fir:

Here you can see that I put three carpinus (hornbean) right in the bed:

 

[Greenthumb18]

Beautiful butterflies guys !!!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi Debby!

What a lovely house & barn & I just love that fence with the plants snuggling up to it. I know that wind problem as when I bought my house the garden was very open to the strong winds we have here. I have gradually added more & more planting as windbreaks & for privacy. I get a lot of bees & butterflies -- at the moment rather too many cabbage whites -- I have had to cover my cabbages with floating fleece......!!!

Good Luck with all your plans for your beautiful garden. It is such a joy when you can see it coming together year by year.

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Debby]

The butterfly bed is blooming nicely still, but I still can't get a picture of the hummingbird although she comes everyday. But here's a tiger swallowtail that likes the liatris. It has been a cold summer with few butterflies. I seem to be hosting thousands more carpenter bees than anything else! :/

 

[colin]

Hello

Very beautiful garden. I loved this. Thank you for sharing.

Have a nice day