I miss my FL GF's, but these NJ guys are beautiful, too

He/she loves these zinnias. There is a bit of the left wing missing -- but still wonderful.

: )

Very pretty. I 've seen a lot of my BF's beat up like that. Makes you wonder how they got that way doesn't it?

Definitely one of my fave BF's. Just beautiful.

Leslie

Hope it was during having fun, and not escaping from a predator.

Be well

: )

Sometimes I surf over to the flower arrangement thread and marvel at what some of the posters compose -- but Mother Nature, in her wisdom, really does a better job.

: )

Wow flyboy, I'm so impressed with you taking these great pics! ;) I'm also impressed with those zinnias! Bright and green happen in spring, but by now they are looking worn.

konkrete~

It's so nice to hear from you.

We are inundated in butterflies up here in NJ. A really good year.

And, as for the zinnias. They are a new variety I am trying this year. They are "Oklahoma Mix." I usually use "State Fair" -- they are the giant blooms. But they always suffered at the end of the season. These really hold their own, and are thriving.

Be well

: )

This message was edited Aug 17, 2007 6:34 PM

Those look really good, flyboy. : ) Did you order the seeds, or get them locally?
~Lucy

Blue~

Lucy:

I have the local nursery order a couple of flats for me. We have a problem. We'd have to start them down in Florida before we leave to come North in May. I do it with some tomatoes -- I can fit them in the car. (My DDW insists on instant gratification for plantings. We are mature.)

But they seem to be a good mix. They are great for cutting, too. They cut at about ten inches (to save the lower buds). But they last, it seems, forever. I seem to have an overabundance of reds -- but so what. You can buy the seeds in packets that are precisely measured out in equal amounts of each color.

Be well

Brad

: )

I found a few places on the web that sell the seeds, if I don't find them around here somewhere. : )
Thanks
~Lucy

flyboy good to see your pretty pic with the zinnia.

and Hi 'konkrete'--so good to see you posting here.

I thought you went off to some other butterfly forum that shall remain nameless!! Now don't go away again! We need to see how your garden is growing here, too!

Stokes Seeds offers many of the different Zinnias separated by color. Not many of the seed catalogs do that for so many varieties....

http://www.stokeseeds.com/cgi-bin/StokesSeeds.storefront

Also, I think there is going to be a butterfly plant seed round robin this fall so don't forget to sign up!

Blue~

Good luck.

and tabasco~

Thanks

:)

Brad, I'm even more impressed that you know what kind of zinnias you have! LOL! I started out with a generic packet of zinnias about 5 years ago and somehow I've ended up with a yard full. :)

Ahh, thanks Tabasco! I may venture back once in a while, when it's hard to get a word in edgewise over here, but always come back. :) I'll definitely get in on that trade. Thanks!

Paige:

Gimme a break. In the real world I had a Registered Landscape Architect plaque with my name on my wall. Good luck on your "generic" zinnias.

But, more importantly, how are your "cats" doing?

Brad

: )

An RLA huh? No wonder it took some convincing you to let the cats live on your vine! ;) Really, I have generic zinnias. They could be Lilliput but I could just be making that name up too. lol You can tell by the chaos of my yard that I have no plaque with my name on it. :)

I've got some GF cats but not near what other people say they have. I swear it's because every place on the vine that I check there is a spider! They are just lurking and waiting. Since I don't use any pesticides I have to deal with the predators too. But my vine is nice and happy.

Your vine -- and your garden -- are beautiful. Nice fenceand trellis, too. (I never did get to understand why protocol dictates that we keep the structural side of our fences on OUR side of the property line -- and leave the finished side for our neighbor to enjoy. It is a puzzlement.)

My passis (when I last saw them) -- were a mess. Nothing at all as nice as yours. With flowers, my DDW insists that they be bountiful. Instant gratification, that is.

Wait -- the spiders will die and your cats will return.

Be well

: )

They're back, again.

:)

I missed the hummingbird -- I'll keep a camera handy.

But -- these zinnias must be tasteful.

: )

Thanks Brad! Two panels of my fence blew down last year so I had to make my vine grow a little more across the fence before I put the lattice back up. It will keep it from being top heavy anyways.

A neighbor behind that corner sits up on top of this deck he built next to an above ground pool and can see my yard. I wasn't thrilled with that so I bought the lattice and had my dad cut my boards and put it together myself. If the vine gets bigger I'll put up another section. If I had any cats they could eat the vine!! I'm going to have to go out and start checking for eggs and bringing them in.

Instant gratification is good! But patience is cheaper!

Back in our ancestral home, we had a big tree hanging over the property line -- so I made a lattice of heavy nylon fishing line, up from the top of the fence.. It worked.

: )

The dreamiest, prettiest sight I ever saw was during the Jersey Coast leg of monarch butterfly migration, on a non windy day on the beach, millions of these BF's flitting over the sand and the dunes.

Bhavana~

What was the date?

: )

Oh...I would LOVE to see that sight! I always say I'm going to travel south and watch them I never remember in time. I'm always afraid I'd end up at the wrong spot anyways. lol

I think the place to go is Mexico. (But -- don't drink the water.)

Be well

: )

I am not positive of the date, it was about 6 or 7 yrs ago, and it was either late spring or early fall, because it was still warm and there were no people on the beach, and no people on the beach is very very unusual in the summer unless the weather is very bad.

It would be pretty easy to find out if you knew the time of year that the monarchs migrate - I would think it would be early fall, not spring..I will look into it and see what I can find out.

Your Jersey garden looks great Brad!
NJ gets a lot of lovely butterflies too! I can see how you'd miss the frits though. I have 2 more eclosing this morning. Your TST up there is a female. Fm have a lot of blue on the lower dorsal wing, there males have black.
With Monarchs, the migration is both spring and fall, it's the fall that is most profound. This year's will be spectacular, and now would be a good time to plan your stations in their path. They should begin pouring down the country in a week or 2.

gtsy!
Deb

thanks Deb:

This has been a great year. (Even more so, now that I can tell them apart.)

Be well

Brad

: )

This message was edited Aug 25, 2007 1:23 PM

Deb, that is probably right that fall is the "big one"- there were ALOT of butterflies on the beach that day and around the island for days afterwards. It was most likely mid September when I saw it. Amazing that such a delicate creature makes such a long journey!