Summer Flowers

Tags

asclepias tuberosa, astilbe, cleome, clivia, echinacea, kabocha, milkweed, photography, postaday

The abundant rain we have had this Spring has led to lots of vibrant summer flowers.

Milkweed ( Asclepias tuberosa).

Milkweed ( Asclepias tuberosa).

Some Monarch butterflies have already started to visit the milkweed.

Astilbe.

Orange Echinacea.

Kabocha (winter squash) flower in vegetable garden.

Inside the house, the Clivia plant, now divided into three separate pots, is also blooming vigorously.

Clivia.

Clivia.

Cleome.

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Updates etc.

Tags

chrysalis, cleome, hibiscus, milkweed, monarch, photography, postaday, seedpod

Following is today’s shot of the Monarch chrysalis. There is the shape of a butterfly in there, but it has not come out yet. It has been 15 days, past the 10-14 days from formation to emergence.

Monarch Chrysalis.

The milkweed plants have gone to seed. Here’s a shot of one of the seedpods.

Seedpod of Asclepias Incarnata.

There are still some flowers, and the garden still has some spots of colors.

Cleome.

Hibiscus.

Hibiscus.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Tags

eastern tiger swallowtail, milkweed, photography, postaday

In addition to Monarchs, several other kinds of butterflies have been visiting and partaking from our milkweed. An often seen visitor is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, one of the most common butterflies of Eastern North America. The one shown below was quite willing to stop once in a while to allow me to take its pictures.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on milkweed.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on milkweed.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on milkweed.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on milkweed.

Milkweed and Cosmos

Tags

asclepias incarnata, asclepias tuberosa, cosmos, milkweed, photography, postaday

This year I tried to grow from seeds orange milkweed, also called butterfly weed (Asclepias Tuberosa). So far only two plants grew and they are displaying bright orange flowers.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa).

These plants are not as tall as the pink or swamp milkweed planted three years ago and, in the summer, visited daily by Monarch butterflies.

Swamp Milkeed (Asclepias Incarnata).

I also planted Cosmos flowers from seeds. They are starting to bloom and here are some pictures of them.

Cosmos.

White Cosmos.

White Cosmos a day later.

Cosmos.

Bee, Butterfly on Milkweed

Tags

asclepias tuberosa, bee, milkweed, monarch butterfly, photography, postaday

I have been planting milkweed (Asclepias Tuberosa) in our backyard for the past three years. It’s an easy plant, requiring virtually no care (note the weed in its name). A sunny afternoon found a bee and a Monarch butterfly on the milkweed.

Bee on milkweed.

Bee on milkweed.

Monarch laying eggs on milkweed.

Monarch, done laying eggs.

Those Deer!

Tags

cosmos, milkweed, photography, postaday

Last week, in Prairie Sun Redux I posted a photo of three Rudbeckia Prairie Sun which had bloomed after their predecessors had been eaten by deer. Well, those deer also ate them and there is no bud left to bloom for the rest of the year. Sigh.

Only milkweed and Cosmos flowers remain. Here are a few shots of them at the height of the season.

Bee and butterfly on milkweed.

Cosmos

Cosmos

Monarchs in Backyard

Tags

asclepias incarnata, milkweed, monarch butterfly, photography, postaday

There are definitely two Monarch butterflies in our backyard. We have been seeing them fluttering back and forth among the pink milkweed plants, or flying in tandem up and down. As soon as I got home yesterday, they swung by the glass patio door, challenging me to come out and take their pictures.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

First Monarch

Tags

asclepias incaranata, milkweed, monarch butterfly, photography, postaday

Three years ago, I planted pink milkweed, Asclepias Incarnata, in the back of our house to attract and help Monarch butterflies, whose number has been in decline in recent years. The first year several came, and then there were Monarch caterpillars crawling on the milkweed plants. Then after a few days they disappeared, maybe eaten by the many birds flying around our bird feeder. Last year, not one single Monarch showed up.

This year, at least one did appear, captured in the following photos.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.

Monarch butterfly.