Bursting with Blooms

Hi everyone!

Will you look at that? Check out poor Norm. You can barely see the little guy. Not bad considering where I started last year. I still have some space to fill in along the walkway, but overall, I've got one heck of a showy garden, and some very healthy parsley.

As you can tell, I'm back from California. I had a great time, but it was good to get back to the garden and get my hands in the dirt. I had to get a little dirty too, because after being gone two weeks, the weeds started sneaking back in. It took me an entire day to rip them all back up again, but it was worth it. Butterfly season is officially in full swing. As you can see the butterfly count has exploded.

While I really miss the Gulf Fritillary butterflies, I think I've found a new little favorite in the garden. The Red Admirals have really caught my eye. I think the combination of bold black, orange, and white is very dramatic. Since I didn't see any of these butterflies in Florida, I think they are my new Ohio favorite.

Ironically, I haven't seen a buckeye here yet. Strange, isn't it?

So I promised pictures of the cute little cabbage white caterpillars. I decided to get rid of the cutworms since they could make planting next season really difficult, but getting rid of them is a challenge. I've found flushing them out of the cabbage heads with water works, and the robin nesting in the shrubs is my new best friend.

I like these soft, squishy little green caterpillars. They are much more attractive than the cutworms anyway. In other caterpillar news, I've got one little black swallowtail caterpillar on the parsley. I found an egg just before I left on vacation, and when I came home, I was dismayed that I couldn't find the caterpillar. I was afraid something happened to him. But just the other day I found him hiding on a bit of parsley beneath the petunias that get tangled up with the parsley hedge. I'm excited. I'm hoping more black swallowtails will lay eggs on the parsley. I saw one hovering around, but I don't think it was a female. Hopefully this single little caterpillar is a harbinger of more to come.

And speaking of swallowtails, check this beauty out!

I planted not one, but three spicebushes in the hopes that spicebush swallowtails would stop by to visit. I guess my plan worked, because this guy was happy to sun himself while resting on the bush.

I've also seen gorgeous yellow eastern tiger swallowtails, and even a monarch despite my abysmal lack of milkweed.

I'm having fun in the garden now! I hope you enjoy the pictures everyone.

Happy Reading!

Jess