Attracting Butterflies

15 Jun '06 10:39 pm

That sounds like a good idea, Goose... but I personally would put a stand of therm in some sunny corner of the garden abd keep an eye on them when the seed pods form. Those little seeds on 'parachutes' can spread through yourt garden like wildfire.
Having said that it seems like an excellent combination with the "butterfly bush". And if you have kids, they could captuer a caterpiller or two and put some leaves and plant twigs in a large jar and watch the transformationfrom caterpiller to pupa to butterfly... Watching a butterfly emerge and fill it's wings can be an amazing thing to see... especially for a child, I'd imagine. I know I like observing nature.

16 Jun '06 8:13 pm

I think I may plant some swan plants in amongst the Butterfly bushes in a sunny part of the garden. I remember doing what you are talking about when I was a kid. Terrific fun. My friends Mum used to pick some of the seed pods and float them in the bath tub, quite novel, she said they really did look like swans.But as to my partner & I no NBL on the kids. I have 2 sisters and they both have children, I really enjoy their visits but just luv it when I can give them back.

16 Jun '06 8:25 pm

Yeah it's great fun. Just something for a kid. What does "NBL" mean, Goose?
It would be great to have the milkweed under the Butterfly bush!.. I can see it now...just mind the seeds!... seriously.

16 Jun '06 8:31 pm

Im sorry I cant give you the real meaning of NBL as I dont think Eggy would like it. Not B..... Likely.Get it Question

But I repeat I luv other peoples kids.

16 Jun '06 8:35 pm

Oh!.. heh heh... It's coming to me... is this a sanguine remark?
Yeah... my partner and I have decided not to have any either. I suppose we are too selfish. chuckle.

16 Jun '06 8:44 pm

oh.. so glad you understand there are a lot that dont Confused

But we all have choices to make in this funny old life of ours . Dont we. ha ha.

16 Jun '06 8:53 pm

I know there aren't. Folks often say... "What'll you do when you get old...?" Oh well, to each his own....just like selecting roses...it's a very personal choice.

20 Jun '06 11:48 pm

An interesting and educational thread to follow, thanks for initiating it, Darlene! I’ve read your article and found it enlightening too! I’m always learning something new each time I read the forums, it’s so refreshing and delightful!
I recall frequent visits of butterflies to my garden when I planted the Lantana more than 2 years ago. They must have been attracted to the Lantana because of their continuous blooms with beautiful combination of colours (I had four varieties) or by the strange odour emitted from their leaves! Anyway a lot of the leaves were always tainted as if diseased, so we had to get rid of the Lantana (after unsuccessfully treating it first with diluted soap water, then with pesticide). Beautiful butterflies are rarely coming now with the exception of tiny white and creamy yellow ones! Sad

CottageGarden: Thanks for your info on the Hummingbird Moth. Now, I can name the ‘rascal’ that jolted me backwards (nearly lost my balance!), about a month ago! I can now laugh when I recall that eek..eeky incident! Usually in the mornings, I love to walk around my garden with a sandwich in one hand (that’s my breakfast!) and the other hand, free to ‘pick and poke’. That fine morning, idly walking around my backyard, I noticed a dried-up brown leaf (that’s what I thought!) hanging underneath the green leaf of my custard apple tree. So I bend forward to remove it and gosh, it sprung to life and nearly choke the daylight out of me! When I composed myself, I seeked it out and saw it fluttering like a hummingbird near one of the branches. I called out to my hubby to get the camera ready, but it took flight before my hubby could get its picture! Rolling Eyes

Sjoerd: Yes, my city has a Butterfly Park where over 6,000 butterflies belonging to 120 species make their home. This park has been landscaped with more than 15,000 plants to simulate the butterflies' natural rainforest environment. I'm embarassed to say that my last visit there was more than 10 years ago, thus I'm sorry to be of no help here.

Presenting a shot of a moth that visited my backyard in year 2004. Though, knowing that the capture will be overexposed because of the sun's rays, we had to grab the opportunity!

25 Jun '06 7:10 am

Sjoerd, I've never seen this butterfly, and it's so beautiful. Do you have any idea what kind it is?

Everybody, thought I'd put in a couple of the newest plants in my ever-changing-stages of plants as they bloom. One is of Fireweed. Since I live about mid-way in Minnesota, they don't get the deep, rich pink like they do further up north, where it gets cold at night. But I still love them, because there are so many intricate parts on the flower. I tried to catch everything; the buds at the top that haven't opened yet, and all the tiny parts that make up the entire flower in full bloom. The plant itself is quite tall.

The other is a Cardinal Flower, which only has one flowerhead with small flowers, but they're so beautiful. This is a close-up of the them.

Also, I recently had another article published; this one on Attracting Birds. I'm including a link in case you'd like to read it. If you do, and like it or find it helpful, I'd be so grateful if you'd rate it on the top, where you can click on options 1-5. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/32344/how_to_attract_butterflies_in_the_city.html

What I found especially intriguing is an e-mail I received from a friend of mine who's been watching a tiny Sparrow feeding a robust Cowbird--twice as big as the "mother"-- feeding its baby on our mixed seed feeder. She accepted the egg, and now loves that adopted baby as much as if it were her very own.

Meanwhile, among all the parent birds that have been feeding their babies on our various feeders, I've also been watching a mother Downy Woodpecker feeding its baby Downy while they both cling to our suet feeder.

All these babies will soon be the next generation of birds feeding themselves at our feeders! My, between the beauty of the flowers themselves, the wildlife they attract, and the birds in my back yard, I'm in heaven... Darlene

Attracting Butterflies

NBL

attracting butterflies