Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Sunday, July 06, 2008
The Butterfly Airport
Have you heard of the Fourth of July butterfly counts? I have my own undisciplined, unscientific version which consists of hanging around the Butterfly Airport (Verbena bonariensis) and watching.
OK that first picture was a moth, not a butterfly, but looks to me just like a plane taking off. I haven't been able to get a good photo of the larger scene with all the butterflies fluttering around the flowers - this is the best one.
In just a few minutes, I counted six species (maybe more; all those indistinguishable brown skippers!) - Black Swallowtail, Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Tailed Blue, Gray Hairstreak, Sachem?, and Cabbage White.
The flower in the middle picture above is Verbena hastata 'Pink Spires'. It's sort of a secondary airport for smaller butterflies.
Other butterflies seen over the weekend, but not on Verbena and not photographed, were Regal Fritillary, Common Buckeye, and some type of Crescent.
Labels: butterflies, insects, moths, verbena
Friday, May 25, 2007
Verbena and Bees?
In a burst of inspiration and ambition this morning, I decided to dig up an area next to the deck and plant a few herbs. And while daydreaming about vine-ripe juicy tomatoes with olive oil and cinnamon basil, I began to imagine sultry summer afternoons on the deck with a book, a beverage, and butterflies dancing at my feet. I have plenty of Verbena bonariensis seedlings this year, and it would be so cool to have the flowers peeking through the deck railing with a few million butterflies posing for pictures and...
Reality Check---> What's wrong with this vision?
Ummmm, bees? I've noticed that many of the butterfly plants are also bee plants.
Bees are fascinating creatures; we and the plants couldn't get along without them; etc. etc., but I really don't want to encourage them to hang out with us while we enjoy a relaxing afternoon. So here's a question for anybody who's growing Verbena bonariensis - have you noticed whether it's especially attractive to bees? I grew it last year for the first time, and although I remember the butterflies, I can't remember any bees.
Labels: bees, butterflies, verbena
