It’s foolish to take the weather personally, but I can’t help it. It’s especially foolish given what is going on elsewhere in the country. Even so, I check the weather app on my phone several times a day. We haven’t had a good rain for over a month. A rainless 10-day forecast provokes exasperated sighs. …
gardeninacity
Notes from a wildlife-friendly cottage garden
The first Monarch Butterflies of the year were spotted in our garden back in June. However, they were loners who made a brief appearance and then were seen no more. It’s only been in the last week or so that we’ve seen a pair of Monarchs maintain a consistent presence. Or maybe it’s been multiple …
So let’s take a look at our containers in the shady back garden, shall we?
A happy Mother’s Day to you. We celebrated Mother’s Day pandemic-style, with our offspring and their partners via a zoom brunch. It was a jolly online gathering. Let’s move on to seed starting. With one exception, germination has gone well and the seedlings are healthy. We are growing Zinnias (3 varieties), Marigolds (2 varieties), Mexican …
Do you know about Botanical Interests? If not, you should – especially if you like to start flowers and vegetables from seed. This seed company has over 600 items to choose from, with a strong emphasis on heirloom and organic varieties.
October is generally the last month for blooms. This year I think the unusually warm September prematurely wore out some of our fall flowers. Even so, let’s amble around the garden and see what we’ve got.
Phantom of the Mexican Sunflower
Butterflies are gradually becoming more scarce as we slide into the last week of September. However, this weekend I got a lucky capture of a Black Swallowtail on a Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia). This guy’s stance and coloring made me think of Phantom of the Opera, plus it kind of looks like he is wearing …
This past Saturday, Judy and I picked up Beckee and Daniel to go see the trolls at the Morton Arboretum. The trolls, up to 30′ tall, are creations of the Danish artist Thomas Dambo. However, when we got off at our exit, we discovered a long line of cars stretching down the road waiting to …
The most interesting plants in the Herb Garden right now are the Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) and the ‘Italian White’ Sunflower (Helianthus annuus).
At a certain point in August, the garden is swept up in a wave of yellow flowers. This is largely due to what I like to call the Susans, members of the genus Rudbeckia.
