Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Daily Pictures #94, 1 by TexasPuddyPrint

TexasPuddyPrint wrote:
Awesome photos everyone!!!

I haven't been able to keep up with Dave's Garden. What can I say...work keeps me busy and I love my job!!!

Have had lots of caterpillars lately - by the time I get home work I don't get to see the butterflies but they've obviously been around. Black Swallowtails, Giant Swallowtails, Gulf Frits, Variegated Frits, Queens, Monarchs, Hawkmoths and a variety of grass skippers. I've had no time to raise them though...so I've left them on their own. Will start raising and releasing once my traveling out of town slows down.

Also added another 2500 square feet to my back yard, had it tilled, leveled and fenced. (Uhmmm...I bought it a year ago and just got around to getting that done!) Am now trying to find a landscaper to get 'er done!

Tried to find a local landscaper to design something but everyone that calls themselves a 'landscaper' just wants to mow the lawn! Don't believe what you read in the photobook, yellowpages, newspaper ads or craigs!

Got a referral from a local nursery on an ex-employee that started his own business. Have received a tentative emailed design but need to sit and talk it out and find out how much the monetary damage will be. I met the man when he was working for the nursery - he used to call me to go pick up caterpillars :o) He knows I want to cater to butterflies - it will be his first trek into the butterfly 'larval host' plant type garden. Told him I wanted to compete for yard butterfly counts next year so nectar plants are a must too. I've had the uncommon and rare butterflies show up but want quantity too. I want to work on larval hosts for more uncommons/rarities instead of them just eating on the run. He sounds interested in working together - so let's hope for the best!!!

I've been taking photos so eventually will compile a start to finish for this project...but don't hold your breaths. If anyone remembers my quest for scalloped brick edgers to paint on the Garden Art Forum (Lin Wellford's Painted Garden Art book) - it has taken me almost three years to just buy the dratted brick edgers and base paint them green!!!! LOL!!! It will be another three years before I finally paint the frog designs???


~ Cat

ps...am looking for this raised butterfly shaped garden bed - if anyone knows where I can find it...let me know!


This message was edited May 4, 2012 10:13 PM