Last year I enlarged a bed and called it my butterfly garden. After seeing almost no butterflies last year I thought about just calling it the pollinator garden, but luckily there seem to be a few more butterflies visiting this year. I've read somewhere (why didn't I bookmark that page?) that Western Washington doesn't see the large amounts of butterflies that other parts of the country do, or even that Eastern Washington does. Today when I went out to take pictures I was happy to actually see a Tiger Swallowtail on the Butterfly Bush. It was easily chased off by bees, but then would just find another flower instead of flying off.
In our neighbors yard to the left is a Weeping Willow, how lucky that it is a host plant for Western Tiger Swallowtails! I had seen some landing on it recently and now I only wish I could see if there were eggs up there. My Butterfly Bush is just starting to bloom and it smells so good. Every year after I cut it down I wonder if it'll ever grow back, and every year it does. The Hummingbirds love the flowers too.
Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. This is the first time I've been able to get pictures of one. It's amazing how much they move and how hard they are to get the camera to focus on.
It seemed to like hanging upside down on the flowers.
A little of what goes on under the Butterfly Bush. I found the Lupine seedling earlier this year and moved it to this part of the garden. I'm surprised to see blooms on it now, and really happy they are purple. Scabiosa, Agastache 'Golden Jubilee', Penstemon 'Catherine de la Mar' (lavender flowers) and Penstemon 'Red Rocks' all blooming together.
Look who decided to visit as well. I swear this dragonfly sat and patiently waited for my camera's autofocus to finally settle on him. For some reason it wanted to focus on the green stems behind it.
The Liatris 'Kobold' the dragonfly was on is just beginning to bloom.
Echinacea is also starting to bloom.
LOTS of Verbena bonariensis is blooming.
Another visitor stopped by as well. The hummingbirds chase each other away from Monarda 'Jacob Cline'. This one had just returned from chasing another one off. I could see them going way above our house.
This plant was a one gallon size 2 years ago and it has really spread and gotten tall. Anything that draws hummingbirds like this is fine to spread all it wants. I have a couple other bee balms in my yard, but this is definitely their favorite.
Here is the new Agastache 'Cocktail Peach Margarita' that I mentioned the other day. I tried to find it online, but no luck. The smell of this plant is just amazing!
On top of the butterfly, dragonfly and hummingbirds the garden was practically humming from all the different types of bees
One other visitor that I found in our house a few days ago and safely returned outside was a Lacewing. Rosie from
leaves n' bloom did a great post on them awhile ago and up until then I had no idea we even had them here or that they were so beneficial. So thanks to her the little Lacewing was moved back into the garden where it could get back to work.
Echinacea is also starting to bloom.
Oh Catherine, you photographs are all just stunning! All of your flowers are beautiful and what can I say, the butterfly is awesome!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Wow.....awesome...such beauties and treasures gifting your garden space!!How magical... ENJOY! Gorgeous photos too!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful photographs, Catherine. I especially liked the hummingbird photos; I could almost hear the buzz of those beating wings. -Jean
ReplyDeleteYour photos of the butterfly and dragonfly are great! Your garden is so special to attract such beauties. Sometimes I think I am planting a garden as much for the creatures as I am for myself. I am always happy to see birds, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and all the other critters — except white flies, aphids, and others of their gang!
ReplyDeleteIt must be so delightful to have such beautiful flowers and visitors to your garden!
ReplyDeleteWhat nice butterfly photos! I love the butterfly bush! Pretty.
ReplyDeleteSo many nice visitors to your garden. The butterfly is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh your gardens just look awesome. And I adore 'Agastache' plants. Will have to invest in more:)
ReplyDeleteAnd don't you just love all the visitors to the gardens. Great Photos...
Your photo of the verbena with the monarda in the background is magical! I have monarda "Jacob Kline" also, and the hummingbirds love that corner, along with my monstrous butterfly bush (I cut it back, but not aggressively enough).
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos! What patience you have, waiting for all those little flying things!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, Catherine! Especially the one of the swallowtail. I think I must have read the same website you did, that said we don't have the variety of butterflies here that they have on the East Coast or in the South. I remember reading that we have no Monarchs here at all, and thought, well, no sense planting milkweed then.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping next year I have the same variety of flying critters that you have. I'd love to see even more hummingbirds here. I've already seen more hummers here in my garden this spring and summer than I ever saw on the East Coast.
How wonderful!! A post with an elusive butterly & bird! Thanks so much for posting about the Western Tiger Swallowtail, I've seen quite a few lately but didn't know what they were. We're right at the top of their range, so not very commonly seen. Beautiful pictures, as always. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine, Although we've always had a gazillion bees, the butterflies have been scarce. This year it seems we've had more than usual, especially in the past few weeks. I wonder if it has something to do with all the rain this year. No lacewigs or praying mantis yet though.
ReplyDeleteI love your butterfly photos, not an easy task. :)
The butterfly bush is really putting on a show. I had a swallowtail the other day and I had remarked to a fellow blogger I didn't think we had any. There were two and I don't know if I will ever see them again. All you flowers are looking so great.
ReplyDeleteDear Catherine, What a lovely idea to create a butterfly garden to encourage as many as possible of these very lovely creatures. Your picture of the Western Tiger Swallowtail is truly magnificent and is something I have not seen before now. Such markings combined with a wonderful colour.
ReplyDeleteVerbena bonariensis is amongst my favourite perennials and, although short lived, may always be relied upon to self-seed. I have encouraged my friends T and G to include it in their purple and silver border.
Lovely butterfly and hummingbird pictures! Where you live is at bit before the summer here, I think I will have the same flowers flowering whitin a month or so.
ReplyDeleteButterflys add so much movement in the garden.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing the verbena self seeds for you. I love it although it seeds itself about a bit too much for me.
Hi Catherine. Now you've got me curious about Lacewing. I'll have to look that up.
ReplyDeleteLast year I planted Monarda 'Petite Delight'...it came up in the spring, but barely. I need to try 'Jacob Cline'. Your hummer photo is amazing.
donna
Oh I love your butterfly garden, Catherine! Good capture on the swallowtail. We have the eastern one that looks identical, but there are probably differences. We are already seeing more butterflies than last year, thank goodness. The hummers do spend way too much time chasing each other, so territorial. It seems like a good year for flutterbys and hummers. Hooray! :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
ps, that golden jubilee simply shines like a star!
Wow, Catherine! These photos are beautiful! Love the tiger swallowtail and the hummingbird photos! Good captures. It is really hard to photograph them. Isn't it wonderful to step outside into your very own butterfly conservatory? I feel very lucky to live in a place where they are actually quite numerous.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots Catherine! Your blooms look lovely too - happy & healthy!
ReplyDeleteWonderful butterfly garden. We have tons of butterflies here and the hummers are everywhere as well. You capture the butterfly beautifully, they are hard to photograph.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful garden! Lupins are Nova Scotia's provincial flower; they grow so wild and prolific here that we DO NOT put them in our gardens. But luckily, we can enjoy them all along the sides of the highways and in every field. A word - If you cut them back after they flower, they will flower again in the fall -- they'll just be shorter.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love that last plant you mentioned - the Agastache. I'll have to check that one out.
Good morning, Catherine. Enjoyed seeing your photos of butterflies and hummers. Love the Cocktail Peach Margarita. That's one I haven't see in this area. My agastache (Golden Jubilee and Blue Fortune) all got so tall this year. Next spring I plan to cut it back in May or early June to keep it at three feet. Certain butterflies love it.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Great picture of the tiger swallowtail. We don't see hummingbirds here. They must be native to America. They look very small.
ReplyDeleteWOW Catherine!!! Your Swallowtail photo is incredible! Great job. So happy you've been seeing some butterflies this year. I wonder if there are fewer on your side of the state because of all the precipitation?? Makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteMy camera won't focus on small objects at times either ~ but that's when it's on "Auto" mode. Those are times it's good to change the setting to "Manual" and focus that way. I know that's hard when it's something as flighty as a dragonfly but if you get a chance to try it out, I hope it helps.
I know why the pollinators love your garden so much ~ it's stuffed full of everything wonderful. I'm am going to look for some of the 'Jacob Cline' ~ I have none!!!
ps your bouquet in the previous post is lovely.
Try Jojoba Plants if you have not already. I'm not sure how they will grow in your climate but they seem to attract thousands of butterflies here in the desert especially once the flowers fall off. Good Luck
ReplyDeleteI love to watch dragonflies in my garden, but am not so keen on the nymphs when I clean out the pond! They resemble clawed stingless scorpions; nothing like the beauty of their final form.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to capture those little critters on camera. Your monarda is so pretty no wonder they love it so.
ReplyDeleteDear Catherine, lots of activity in your so lovelingly bloomed garden!! I have to learn from you as to be stil and quiet waiting to picture some butterflies, hopefully next spring!!
ReplyDeletevery beautiful pictures, my dear!!
hugs,
maria cecilia
Very pretty photos, Catherine! I want to know ... How do you take such great photos of the hummingbirds? I have never been able to get a clear photo of them. It always comes out one big blur....Maybe, I don't have the right type of camera.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your butterfly bush is very pretty and looks so healthy.
Ooh, I saw that agastache recently, and wanted to remember to go back for it when I had more cash on me. Note to self, must stop by Andersons! LOL
ReplyDeleteThe butterfly picture is especially beautiful
ReplyDeleteWow! I enjoyed view the photos of your garden. That is a beautiful butterfly bush. Is it a 'pink delight'? Also I agree with you on the 'Jacob Cline' bee balm about letting it spread. I have some in my garden and the hummingbirds love it.
ReplyDeleteAmy - The hummingbird was so into the flowers that I just stood and took pictures, although it was in the middle of the flowers so hard to get the front of him. I just had it on auto mode and was surprised it wasn't blurry. I've tried sports mode before and that did help although the pictures aren't quite as clear.
ReplyDeleteAlan - Thanks! I do think it probably is 'Pink Delight' although it was labeled as something else. Whatever it is, it smells so good and is popular with the pollinators.
great shot of the Swallowtail ... hey...and there's another little busy hummer!
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