Butterfly Junction

So cute!

OhioGardener wrote:Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar on Tulip Polar tree.

Luv it!

countrynaturals wrote:

OhioGardener wrote:Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar on Tulip Polar tree.

Luv it!

+1

+2!

OhioGardener wrote:The Red Ice succulent is in full bloom.  It attracts small pollinators, such as the Aphid Wasp, to the gardens.

I just ordered this one for the pollinators. Whadayathink?
Agastache

OhioGardener wrote:I love Agastache, but it freezes out here every winter.  I have tried that one twice, but neither survived the winter.

We rarely freeze here, but I don't mind bringing it in -- it will be in a container. Except for the Salad Bar and one SFG bed, I have about given up on in-ground gardening.

OhioGardener wrote:Yesterday, a Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar had moved to one of the Hen & Chicks...




Today, a Black Swallowtail Butterfly Chrysalis is hanging there...

OMG! I was about to say "Get it off there and put it on its host plant," but obviously it knew what it was doing.

OhioGardener wrote:
The host plant, a Common Rue, is about 10' away from the succulents.

Yup, that's exactly what they're programmed to do -- get away from the host plants to confuse the predators.

TIME TO START A SERIOUS INDOOR GARDEN!

Here is the slider to our South-facing balcony, off the master bedroom. At first I had plants out there. Then I discovered it was just too hot and no water source except to carry buckets.  

Eventually I realized this is the perfect place to nurture babies. I think I'll name it the "Goldilocks Garden" with just right conditions for getting things off to a good start. Fingers crossed that I can grow crops year round, here.  

That's my tomato cutting in the big glass. In the smaller one, there's a broken stem from a Mexican Sunflower. It refused to die, even after a day in the dirt at the base of the mother plant, so I rescued it and brought it it.

Last week I ordered a shelving unit to put in this space to give me more grow room. I put polyurethane on the shelves to protect them from water, then, yesterday, Hubby put it together for me. It was supposed to have 5 shelves, but that wouldn't allow for plant growth and might also block too much light, so I had to make to with 4.

I started at the bottom, with a perfect container that Katie found at a yard sale. It's deep enough for Bob's beloved icicle radishes, and I planted a sugar snap pea in each corner to climb up the supports and give me my favorite garden snacks.

More to follow, so stay tuned.

OOPS!   When I checked the sun coming in this slider, it was the dead of winter and the sun was low in the sky (which I paid no attention to ) Now I have this huge investment in an indoor garden and realize the sun never reaches any of it in the summer.   It's very light and bright however, so I'm still going for it. All of the little plants I've had there are doing fine -- none leggy or weak. If I have to, I suppose I could arrange some kind of reflector on the balcony to bring the sun in.   That might be good for winter, too. What an adventure gardening turned out to be. My journal reads like a soap opera without the sex.  

The weather has cooled off dramatically, so I've been able to work outside for hours at a time (instead of just a few minutes, then head for the pool). With Hubby's help, I got the watering system all set up for the asparagus, fruit trees, and SFG bed. It went so smoothly, I'm now thinking I can also do the whole Salad Bar -- not just the raised beds, but the containers and butterfly host garden, too. That would be truly awesome!  I dream of the day I can actually play in the garden -- not just work all the time.

Gorgeous pics, OG.   Katie finally saw a couple of Gulf Fritillaries, but no monarchs, yet.

I have never been able to grow bee balm.

Ya know, I have not had any luck growing bee balm at my  current home either.  And I love it!  I have total clay dirt.  My old house had a nice loam...grrr

Hubby's sunflowers are easily the biggest anyone in this family has ever grown. This one is easily the size of a dinner plate.  

Nice, OG -- love the color. Sunflowers always make me smile. Are you saving the seeds?