Monthly Archives: June 2023

Friday Flowers and Butterfly Journal – June 30, 2023

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Center of Western Border

My favorite spot lately is the western border where dahlias from previous years have been in bloom for a month. It’s still filling in. It helps to step in close. I planted Angelonia ‘Alonia Big Snow’ and Agastache ‘Apricot Sprite’ in the blue pot and a mandevilla to climb up the trellis.

Angelonia angustifolia (‘Alonia Big Snow’) and Agastache aurantiaca ‘Apricot Sprite’ (Hummingbird Mint, Mexican Sage)

The Mandevilla seems to be in no particular hurry. It’s my first time growing one.

Mandevilla

These are a few of the dahlias.

Dahlia ‘Noordwijks Glorie’

Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’

Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Pablo’

Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Pablo’

Among the dahlias ‘Cafe au Lait’ is the biggest surprise. Usually offering an occasional flower, this year the plant is generous and the flower quality and size are good.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ and Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Nearby I have planted Little Lime hydrangeas and other replacements for a corner spot where a juniper died last winter.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’

The butterfly bush like the rest of the garden overall is better watered this year and has responded with vigor.

Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)

Butterfly Journal

I have not been thorough in recording butterfly visitors to the garden this year but I am trying to pull together the observations. I have posted some on iNaturalist and reported the more complete list to Carolina Leps to be included in the annual update to the Butterflies of North Carolina website and am dropping them here until I can get more organized.

June 30, 2023
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 1 (no photo)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) 1 (no photo)
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) 1 (no photo)
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris) 1

Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)

June 29, 2023
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) 1
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) 1
Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) 1

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)

June 28, 2023
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 1
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) 1
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) 1
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) 1

June 27, 2023
Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) 1
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 1
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) 1

June 26, 2023
Zebra Swallowtail 1
Black Swallowtail 1

June 25, 2023
Horace’s Duskywing 1

June 24, 2023
Pearl Crescent 1

June 23, 2023
Variegated Fritillary 1 purple coneflower
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1 verbena bonariensis
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) 1 butterfly bush

June 2, 2023
Silver-spotted Skipper 2 Verbena bonariensis
American Lady 2 Verbena bonariensis

June 1, 2023
Silver-spotted Skipper 2 Perennial Everlasting Sweet Pea
Fiery Skipper 1 Perennial Everlasting Sweet Pea

May 31, 2023
Silver-spotted Skipper 2 Perennial Everlasting Sweet Pea

March 7, 2023
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail flying over garden FOY 1

Quietude

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Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower) in the Western Border

The grass and weeds have taken off after last week’s rain and I haven’t had time (read “made it a priority”) to deal with them. But I have walked through the garden each day tackling some minor task so as to feel something has been accomplished. In truth just being in the garden, experiencing it, is the point.

As I take my morning coffee I watch 8-12 American Goldfinches. From inside the window I see them drinking or nibbling as they sway atop Blue Sky salvia or verbena bonariensis. They leave if I come out, but I must and eventually they find their way back.

Salvia uliginosa ‘Blue Sky’ (Bog sage)

Ruby-throated hummingbirds also enjoy Blue Sky Salvia. Or they might sip at Black and Blue Salvia, Monarda, or various other plants throughout the borders before pausing high on a tree branch. Meanwhile bees are awakening and confidently moving from flower to flower regardless of whether it is already occupied, bumping and jostling the current inhabitants.

Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) With A Bee Zooming In

In the hottest point of the day I search for butterflies on the Buddleja, the coneflowers, or on the just opening lantana or the spent iris leaves, or on clover in the grass.

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

Evening comes and I stroll among the flowers just as fireflies blink off and on looking for a mate or I sit staring into the vast sky sensing the calm, the settling, listening to the stillness until leaves in a tree suddenly shift as a bird tucks in for the night.

I am still listening as the loud song of a cicada erupts through the air and breaks the silence. 

The peace remains. It is after all a garden.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Wordless Wednesday – Sentinel

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Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) Hanging Out On Topmost Central Flower. Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) Hanging Out On Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) Hanging Out On Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) Hanging Out On Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Early Summer Butterfly Sightings

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Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Butterfly sightings have been few this year but now that summer is here they are slowly beginning to pick up.

This 92°F afternoon I chased around this enchanting black swallowtail, capturing it in multiple poses.

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Several hours earlier today (it was only 88°F then) a Zebra Swallowtail was nectaring at the butterfly bush. It flew off before I could approach so this was the best photo I could get. The butterfly is visible though the center of the ring supporting the white dahlias.

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) nectaring at Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)

This detail reveals the showy stripes and very long tails.

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) nectaring at Buddleja davidii ‘Adokeep’ (Adonis blue Butterfly Bush)

Yesterday (June 25, 2023) I happened upon a Horace’s Duskywing filling up on Verbena bonariensis, a popular draw for many pollinators.

Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

Another happenstance sighting—Pearl Crescent on Crinum lily on Jun 24, 2023.

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

These are all first of year observations. I haven’t looked back to see how they compare to previous years but I hope to see many more species and individuals in the garden.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Pairing

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In A Vase On Monday – Vase Pairing

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase with materials selected from our gardens.

The focus today is on a pair of organically shaped vases, a gift from my daughter for Mother’s Day this year. In my first attempt to use them I overstuffed both vases, but I have discovered the vases’s virtue is they do not hold nor do they need much material to create a display. All week they sat on a kitchen counter with a only few sprigs of Russian sage, their minimalist look stayed interesting all week because the vases themselves really are the focal point.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Pairing

The first phlox paniculata opened this week. I recently read they should be pinched back. I wasn’t sure how so I just cut a few to bring inside for the taller of the vases. That they haven’t been eaten to the ground makes me think my investment in rabbit fencing has paid off (so far that is—fingers crossed, knock on wood, etc). This phlox has been in the garden about 21 years. I planted nine newly ordered garden phlox this spring but they are mere inches high, some haven’t emerged at all.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Pairing

The shorter vase showcases a prolific dahlia whose name I lost or maybe never knew. It has returned faithfully for 3 or 4 years.

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Pairing

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia sp.
Phlox paniculata ‘Robert Poore’
Salvia yangii (Russian Sage) (was Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Container
Modern oval donut vase pair

In A Vase On Monday – Vase Pairing

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her blog to see her vase and check out those of other gardeners from around the world.

Between Rains

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Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) and Sombrero ‘Flamenco Orange’ Coneflower

It’s been a rainy week. If only we could pause and save a balance of water for later. After a few hours of sunshine, dark clouds gathered again late yesterday evening. The meditation circle was flooded, making it look like a very pretty, shallow pond. The water has since receded, mostly.

In-between downpours I explored the garden and pollinators ventured out. Coneflowers are having a moment.

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (Coneflower)

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (Coneflower)

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (Coneflower)

This Variegated Fritillary was too swift for me but I managed a quick snap just for my records.

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Despite the rain dahlias have been surprisingly resilient. I gathered a dozen or more D. ‘Great Silence’ and ‘Noordwijks Glorie’ for a get-well bouquet for a friend recovering from surgery. This ‘Cafe Au Lait’ looked better left in the garden.

Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’

The first flowers unfurled this week on blackberry lilies.

Iris domestica (blackberry lily)

So far just a few butterflies have ventured into the garden this year. But as soon as there was a sunshine moment yesterday afternoon this fresh male sipped his way around clusters of verbena bonariensis.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – P. glaucus

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – P. glaucus

There may be more rain ahead but the sky is blue this morning. Happy Weekend!

Not Star Jelly

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Perhaps the mystery is solved.

Star Jelly

I grabbed a 2-pound bag of zinnia seeds at the checkout counter of my local Southern States garden center in early spring without really noticing the ingredients. Only recently did I plant them and was surprised at how few seeds were actually in the bag.

What had seemed like a bargain at the time is probably the source of the mysterious gelatinous cubes sitting in my garden this week. I’d never heard of the water retention material, but thanks to Amelia (The Shrub Queen) and Kris (Late to the Garden Party), the puzzle fits. The strange stuff is found exactly in the areas where I sprinkled the zinnia seeds from this mix.

Zinnia Mix

Zinnia Mix

It’s embarrassing to have planted something so carelessly without knowing. Is it ok to use this stuff? Should I collect up as much as possible or not worry about it? The weird thing is zinnias really don’t require a lot of water so it seems like an odd thing to even sell.

Star Jelly

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Star Jelly

NOTE: I think the mystery is solved in my next post. 

I’d been wishing for rain and oh my did we get rain this week. There is standing water in the meditation circle for the first time in a long time. Fortunately I had actually staked some of the dahlias and they held up okay.

Wednesday I noticed in the front yard an unusual material, unrecognizable, but it was raining hard and I didn’t take time to investigate, then I forgot about it. Yesterday I spotted more in the front side garden where a few zinnia seedings are coming up and I grabbed a few pictures.

Star Jelly

It appeared as if someone had tossed out very large ice cubes (not that anyone would have done so!), but the material is gelatinous.

Star Jelly

This is a very strange discovery and a little creepy. I think I’ve identified it. Please let me know what you think. Wikipedia describes it this way:

Star jelly (also called astromyxin, astral jelly) is a gelatinous substance sometimes found on grass or even on branches of trees.[1] According to folklore, it is deposited on the Earth during meteor showers. It is described as a translucent or grayish-white gelatin that tends to evaporate shortly after having “fallen”. Explanations have ranged from it being the remains of frogs, toads, or worms, to the byproducts of cyanobacteria.[2][3][4][5] Reports of the substance date back to the 14th century and have continued to the present.[5][6]

Read article. Have you seen this before?

Star Jelly

Some people have tied it to slime mold, which has been a nuisance in my yard the past few years and is especially bad this year. This image is from last year, there being no reason to photograph this stuff very often! It is recommended to remove it and the underneath mulch and deposit in trash. It lifts easily at this stage but if left it turns brown and turns to dust and gets dispersed by water or wind.

Fuligo septica (Dog vomit fungus, dog vomit slime mold)

It would be inconsiderate to leave you with that image so here are some nicer things to imprint.

Planted last year the liatris is looking much stronger and healthier this summer. It is rather short-lived in my garden but I like the height and strong impact it makes.

Liatris spicata

Day lilies appreciate water but these have had quite a drenching. I like the rich tangerine color.

Hemerocallis (Daylily)

And of course I love the red ones.

Hemerocallis (Daylily)

Happy Friday! Happy gardening!

Wordless Wednesday – Annotated

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There are a few words after all.

I’m enjoying hydrangeas this year and especially three H. ‘Little Lime’ planted this spring that opened this week. Welcome rain the past couple days is encouraging and I am grateful for the break in having to water.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Lime’

After reading about two recent purchases I think I’d best plant them in pot to keep them from spreading aggressively underground. They are Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’ (Chocolate Snakeroot (Joe-Pye Weed)) and Solidago hybrida ‘Dansolitlem’ (Solidago Little Lemon).

Any advice would be appreciated. I don’t usually buy yellow perennials but thought the unopened solidago would be good in flower arrangements.

Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’ (Chocolate Snakeroot (Joe-Pye Weed)) and Solidago hybrida ‘Dansolitlem’ (Solidago Little Lemon)

Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’ (Chocolate Snakeroot (Joe-Pye Weed)) and Solidago hybrida ‘Dansolitlem’ (Solidago Little Lemon)

In A Vase On Monday – Pink In The Round

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In A Vase On Monday – Pink In The Round

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase with materials selected from our gardens.

Pink is not my favorite color. I prefer blues and reds, yet there are too many fresh pinks in my garden this week to ignore. To highlight them today I decided to embrace pink as a theme, using a traditional round floral design.

In A Vase On Monday – Pink In The Round

In A Vase On Monday – Pink In The Round – A different view

In A Vase On Monday – Pink In The Round

In A Vase On Monday – Pink In The Round

In A Vase On Monday – Pink In The Round

Materials
Flowers
Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow)
Bishops’ Weed
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)
Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’
Echinacea sp.
Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)
Gladiolus sp.
Hydrangea macrophylla
Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea)
Foliage
Container
Glass Pedestal Dish

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her blog to see her vase and check out those of other gardeners from around the world.

Wordless Wednesday – Mostly Red, White And Blue

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Leucanthemum superbum ‘Alaska’ (Shasta Daisy)

Hemerocallis (Daylily)

Hemerocallis (Daylily)

Cynoglossum amabile (Chinese Forget-Me-Not)

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) Atop Hydrangea macrophylla

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) Atop Hydrangea macrophylla

Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) Atop Hydrangea macrophylla

Hydrangea macrophylla

Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

Gladiolus ‘Espresso’ or ‘Black Beauty’?

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) (male)

In A Vase On Monday – Breath of Early Summer

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In A Vase On Monday – Breath of Early Summer

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase with materials selected from our gardens. Summer is nearly upon us.  It’s 81°F. now but the first 90-degree day was recorded this past week. Rain has been scarce since June began, but spring was long with decent showers and cool nights that allowed the garden to flourish.

New dahlias are planted but the garden already is dotted with blooms from returning ones, making possible a generous summery arrangement this week.

Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’

My sweet sister, Becky, visited at the end of May and brought me the loveliest book of floral inspirations. The Artistry of Flowers, Floral Design by La Musa De Las FloresI haven’t had a chance to read it completely but each page is filled with inspiration and I used a few of the ideas from the book to create this Monday’s vase.

One bit of advice from the book is that flowers need to breathe, they need space and if when you’re arranging you don’t feel it’s working out, step back and take a breath for yourself. Such good advice for most situations and it was helpful today.

In A Vase On Monday – Breath of Early Summer

In A Vase On Monday – Breath of Early Summer

In A Vase On Monday – Breath of Early Summer

Materials
Flowers
Dahlia Border Decorative ‘Gallery Pablo’
Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’
Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’
Dahlia ‘Great Silence’ (Decorative dahlia)
Dahlia Decorative ‘Noordwijks Glorie’
Dahlia ‘Tsuki Yori No Shisha’
Dahlia Ball ‘Petra’s Wedding’
Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’ (Coneflower)
Gladiolus sp.
Hydrangea macrophylla
(Lil’ Ruby dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea)
Foliage
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’
Containers
Glass Pedestal Dish

Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’ (Coneflower)

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her blog to see her vase and check out those of other gardeners from around the world.

In A Vase On Monday – June Sunshine

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In A Vase On Monday – June Sunshine

Every Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share a vase with materials selected from our gardens.

For almost a week I have enjoyed watching a long row of Asiatic lilies slowly reveal their colors. They are from a collection called “Sunset Mix”. The yellow ones were the last to open, shining brightly like sunshine itself.

In A Vase On Monday – June Sunshine

I also had collected an orange lily and a purple gladiolus to use, but decided they were not necessary, settling instead on the simplicity of a single yellow lily nestled in greenery.

In A Vase On Monday – June Sunshine

In A Vase On Monday – June Sunshine

Materials
Flowers
Lily Asiatic “Sunset Mix”
Foliage
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)
Leucanthemum superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Containers
Textured, incised ceramic pedestal vase, rice or bone color. 5×6-inches.

In A Vase On Monday – June Sunshine

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting each week. Visit her blog to see her vase and check out those of other gardeners from around the world.

Early June Garden

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Garden View With Lily Asiatic Sunset Mix

In between other responsibilities I planted dahlias Saturday and a few zinnias and every chance I could I ran back out into the garden for just one more walk-around. Good rainfall this year and cool nights have helped the plants thrive this spring. (It was summertime weather today though, about 88F.)

Bees are everywhere. Lamb’s ears are a particular attraction. A few butterflies are stopping by this week at long last—not just flying overhead—and they’re finding lots of flowers. Verbena bonariensis, everlasting sweet pea and salvias get the most attention.

Meanwhile I’m particularly loving an explosion of color coming from a long row of Asiatic lilies planted on one of the last days of March.

Lily Asiatic Sunset Mix

The reds were first to open, soon followed by orange. Yellows are poised to join the radiant show soon.

Lily Asiatic Sunset Mix

Lily Asiatic Sunset Mix

Lily Asiatic Sunset Mix

Lily Asiatic Sunset Mix

Lily Asiatic Sunset Mix

Looking beyond the lilies I’m enjoying other areas of the garden.

Gladiolus ‘Performer’

Dahlia returning from last year

Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’

Echinacea ‘Sombrero Flamenco Orange’

I did not plant more gladiolas this year so it is good to see these springing up around the borders.

Gladiolus ‘Purple Flora’

Gladiolus ‘Purple Flora’

Lathyrus latifolius (Everlasting sweet pea) with oak leaf hydrangea in the distance

Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea), a passalong

Achillea filipendulina (Fern-leaf Yarrow), another passalong

Centaurea cyanus ‘Blue Boy’ (Bachelor’s Button, Cornflower)

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Dahlia ‘Gallery Art Deco’

Dahlia ‘HS Date’

I am way behind in reading posts and commenting, but hope to catch up soon. Happy Gardening!