The Monarchs are visiting the mountain this week. We have enjoyed watching them feeding on our neighbors’ butterfly bush.
Monarchs aren’t the only butterflies on the Buddleia bush.
There are Painted Ladies and Buckeyes at the party, too.
There is nothing better than a butterfly…
except a bushful of butterflies.
FLOWER
This was one of my favorite finds of the whole trip to Charleston. These two intertwined vines are covering two separate trellises in the gardens of the Manigault House.
Passiflora vines and Butterfly Pea/ Bluebell vines/Clitoria ternatea vines covering sidewalk sentinel trellises near the gatehouse.
Not only are the blooming vines bursting with Fritillary butterflies. They are also crawling with caterpillars of all sizes.
One is even forming a chrysalis. It was hanging beside a peapod of a similar shape.
The passion flowers are a deep purple and the pea blooms are deep blue. My camera did not do them justice.
I just had to pause a while to watch all the fluttering and crawling on these Passions and Peas.
FLOWER
I spent today sitting on the beach of the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. I did see sea gulls, pelicans and porpoises.
I watched children digging in sand and throwing water on each other.
But the thing that kept getting my attention were butterflies.
Not a few. Dozens and dozens of Monarchs. Flying solo or in pairs. All headed in the same direction. One or two flew by every minute or two. We kept pointing them out to each other.
Do you how hard it is to get a photo of a butterfly riding the wind on the shore of the ocean?
I tried over and over. Photo bursts and all. I got several far away photos but only one definitive shot. My phone seems to have changed the marking as it increased the resolution.
Mr. Flower and I marvelled at the migration that everyone else ignored. I have never seen so many Monarchs on one day in my life.
This is the part of today I will remember.
Sitting on a beach witnessing the Monarch miracle migration.
FLOWER
I love lantana because butterflies love it and deer do not. This little annual has been producing blooms since it was put in the ground in June.
It has been the main attraction for a blue pipevine swallowtail butterfly today. The butterfly was too busy eating to notice me taking its photograph.
I appreciate any easy plant that blooms without work from me. This lovely butterfly is a beautiful bonus.
FLOW
My good friend, Cindy, has heard the call of the butterflies. Our winged friends need our help on their long journey across the state. More development means less weeds. This does not have to be the end of the story. Many folks in-the-know are stepping it up and planting the needed plants in their yards.
We all need to be aware that we can form a wildlife corridor for nature on the move. Carolina Cindy Nursery can help you be part of the solution in North Carolina by supplying you with the shrubs and plants that butterflies need on their journey.
This is a second calling for Cindy who helps humans as a nurse for her career. This butterfly passion is evident in her gardens which have themes, such as The Wizard of Oz and an ode to her late mother, Betty.
She has the heart of an artist, which is evident in her pottery, drawings and paintings.
She is busy perfecting her ‘She Shed’ with amenities for visitors. I wish I had that much energy and motivation. She is an inspiration.
Cindy is working on her website and Meta page. I predict she will be in full swing by spring.
As our environment gets changed by humans, we need to remember the wildlife that also call this place home. You will be rewarded by little wild friends stopping by to brighten your gardens.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565662502329
FLOW
It was nice to see that Sylva took butterflies into consideration in their plans.
There was an official Monarch Waystation along the main drive through town.
The flowers were lovely. Plants were labeled.
There was even a display explaining the Monarch Life Cycle.
Sylva, North Carolina is my kind of town!
Flower
August second
Butterfly bush
‘Black Knight’
orange angel
FLOW
I spent money on an annual in July. Why would I?
Because it had variegated leaves and a promise.
‘Monarch Promise’ is its hybrid name. Asclepias curassavica is its scientific name.
I wait patiently for Monarch butterflies every summer.
I am lucky if I see one.
I have other types of milkweed, but this one is special. The bloom colors are also two-toned.
My big surprise was that the pods were also striped.
I will be saving these seeds BUT NOT bringing the plant’s pot inside over the winter.
Sometimes it is okay to buy an annual in July.
Now you know why.
FLOW
UPDATE: One of my knowledgeable readers,Eliza Waters, sent me this link about THIS lovely plant causing problems for our precious Monarchs.
https://xerces.org/blog/tropical-milkweed-a-no-grow
I am in ZONE 7, the plant can overwinter in Zone 10. I will be tossing the plant and saving the seeds instead.
THANKS ELIZA
I am a scientist, but I believe in signs. Mine come from nature.
Today was tough. I won’t share my troubles. I needed to be alone.
I went down to sit in my sad chair. It’s where I sit to sort out my crises.
I was pondering my problems when I was distracted by fluttering in the fig.
This is the “Miss Robbie” fig tree. It has a history.
That history did not include butterflies until today.
Now we can say these flutterbys were passing through and stopped for a snack.
This may be true, but this is the first time of my seeing them on a thirty-year-old fig tree.
Mama was on my mind and Miss Robbie was sending me a sign.
She is on the other side with my daddy you see.
They probably saw me crying in the sad chair and felt compelled to send those butterflies.
They may have been angels stopping by to put my troubled mind at ease.
Nature has a way of healing me when I am hurting.
All I have to do is be still.
Flow
