Something Published

Nature's Pallet

Husband sumitted this photo to the "Photo of the Day" area in the local paper. We were delighted to see that it had been chosen for publication in full color.

I think a better picture was the one that wasn't taken. When Husband shot this photo I didn't have a camera but the experience of seeing him among the butterfly bushes to get this shot was incredible. He was being surrounded by thousands of Zibra Lyetail, Tiger Lyetail, Black Lyetail and Monarch butterflies, not to mention the large variety of small butterflies fluttering all around him in their desire to find a good feeding spot on these bushes.

I keep three fully mature butterfly bushes of different colors together along with butterfly weed of various colors in the same area with a small bath for the butterflies. A butterfly garden, you might say. There are other butterfly attractions in other parts of the garden, including a native spice bush which these beauties use readily for breeding and egg laying. By the end of the summer the spice bush is looking rather ratty, but all the activity and leaf munching doesn't seem to hurt it much. The next spring it usually comes awake almost twice the size as the year before. I also keep fennel and parsley scattered throughout the garden for the butterfly larvae which eat these spices readily. Although the butterflies visit all the different garden rooms in my yard, they are mostly attracted to this spot where the butterfly bushes are and will eventually migrate there. In most every other part of the garden the butterflies will give way to the bees but in the butterfly garden, the bees give way to the butterflies.

I love drawing these colorful beauties into my garden and in doing so, my garden itself has become as colorful. There is nothing more awesome than going out into the garden and being surrounded by thousands of butterflies of all shapes and sizes. And I'm glad I found so many plants that will draw them in so readily.