Today is a typical November day for the Northeast. It is cold, raining and raw. I can feel the winter just around the corner.
I keep thinking back to warmer days.......
Here is a picture of my warmer days. I'd love to see yours.....
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn....(sigh) I know exactly how you feel, but thank goodness we can all share pictures of Summers gone by and dream...............
Here are my Coneflowers from this past Summer 2007.......I miss them alot!!
I wish I had one to post but for now I will enjoy yours!!! I miss gardening outdoors already!!
Dawn/Granny,
I miss it already too. This morning I woke up to 3-4" of snow and shoveled my front walk. How depressing.
Dawn - I am posting a picture for you. This is the same butterfly that would come around. I don't know what happened to his lower wing, but because of the problem with his lower wing, I could tell it was him.
Carolyn
That is amazing Carolyn - that butterfly either really loves your flowers or he just wants to put on a nice show for you. Either way he looks happy and that photo is just great! Thanks for sharing!
Carolyn22, Yes - I miss my flowers, and my butterflies.
It was my first year for coneflowers, and I'd recommend everyone having some.
The do attract lots of BF's.
Thanks for the fun thread.
Paul
Also attract a great number of Skippers.....
Lots of Gulf Fitts.......
And we can't forget about our friendly bumble bees. (not too close)
Paul,
What kind of butterfly is in your first photo? He came around here too last summer several times and I didn't remember him from previous years. He is beautiful.
Here is another one for me. The butterflies and the bees were quite busy the whole season! I really enjoyed them.
Carolyn
Carolyn,
She - is a Eastern Black Swallowtail - and she is beautiful.
Attached is a Male. You see the Females have much more blue, while the Males have much more yellow.
I raised lots of BST (black swallow tails) this year on Dill, Fennel, and carrot plants.
It was a blast.
Paul
Carolyn -- Now you have a butterfly that I NEVER saw this year. :^(
A Tiger Swallowtail. They are SO great.
While I think your first BF with the broken wing is a Red Admiral.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/11/
They are very fast flyers.
You're welcome to view several of my flower/bug pics if you'd like.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/imagesbyuser.php?user=pford1854
Have a nice day.
Paul
Paul, do you have any idea whay type of caterpillar feeds on a lilac shrub? There were a lot of them on my french lilac that grows up by the mailbox, and yesterday I noticed several cocoons inside the back of the mailbox. Im leaving them alone just to see what happens. but was just curious.
Kelboindy -- I am not an expert, but I spent some time searching that and only came up with two choices. But again, there could be more, and your caterpillar could be practically anything.....
Pale Swallowtail
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/340/
Spring Azure
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/220/
Just keep an eye on them, They'll surely come out in the Spring, when it warms back up.
Thanks,
yes, I am going to watch them to see what emerges.
or the mail lady will get a suprise one morning when she opens the box.LOL
Thanks.
Here's a shot just a few min. ago.
I took all the seeds that I wanted, and I left the rest for the birds.
I'm a newbie with the coneflowers.
I was harvesting the seeds about a month ago, and the seeds weren't coming out that easily at all. The seeds fall out very easily from the old dry seed heads.
I will be much more patient next year. :^)
I have a large patch of coneflowers out in the field. They are so gorgeous when they are in bloom, and the butterflies seem to be drawn to them. but that patch is not attractive at all when they have died. The birds do seem to be eating the seeds though so Im not going to cut them down. They come back every year regardless.
Loved looking at the butterflies and coneflowers. Like all of you my coneflowers attracted my bees and butterflies. It is so nice to look back at last summer's blooms and enjoy them once again!! Eleanor
Here's a little Firey Skipper.
Along with a tiny sweat bee.
And of course a very large coneflower. :^)
grammyphoeb -- Noce shot of the Monarch. Wow!
Here's another type of bee.
This one is I believe a Leaf Cutter bee.
They spent a lot of time on my rose bushes, sawing out little circles of leaves to build a home for their eggs. They are very effective pollenators too.
Here's my little bed of coneflowers.
It was their first year. I started them from seed in Feb. under lights, and set them out in Mar, and they bloomed in July.
This message was edited Dec 5, 2007 7:46 AM
Here's a pretty little Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Carolyn22, I hope you don't mind me sharing these Pics with you and others here on your post..... :^) I had SO much fun with the coneflowers this year. They are definitely a BF magnet.
Here's a Silvery Checkerspot on the coneflower......
Here's a smaller Pearl Crescent on the coneflower......
Here's a few more Gulf Fritillaries........
I had up to 18 of these beauties in my yard at one time this summer...
Those white spots are irredescent -- like 'Mother of Peal'
They have a mettalic sheen.
( The pic doesn't really capture it that well )
And of course the pretty coneflower.... :^)
And here's a lovely Cloudless Sulphur......
On the coneflower....
BF1 - You were supposed to be here 10 minutes ago.
BF2 - Sorry, I got held up in traffic. What's for lunch?
BF1 - I dunno, what do you want?
BF2 - I dunno, what sounds good to you?
BF1 - I dunno, but I'm tired of eating the same thing over and over again.
BF2 - Lets' just go out and pick up a hamburger.
Here's a common Buckeye.....
On the coneflower.
Paul,
The gorgeous pictures are what I had hoped for and the butterflies are such an added bonus. I love looking at all of them.
Keep them coming! When I get home from work, I will see what pictures I can post!
Carolyn
Paul,
I checked for more close ups and I have pretty well exhausted them. Here is a shot of my coneflowers from across the walk in my back yard.
I had Sunset and Harvest Moon flowering earlier this year and didn't get any pictures of them. Oh well there is next year......
Carolyn
Carolyn, I suppose you're off work now. :^)
( I can't help but constantly peeking at DG while I'm at work too )
Your picture is really nice.
Lots of nice contrast and nice colors.
I'm like you, I've about used up all my coneflower pics too.
I'll have to dig around and see what else I can find.
Thanks so much for the nice thread.
Paul
Such lovely photos!! Snow on the ground.......freezing rain now. Thank goodness for Dave's Garden and all our gardening friends!
The goldfinches are thick on the coneflowers, black-eyed susans, and feeders. It's nice to know if the feeders run out while I'm at work, the birds still have their natural supply waiting!
you all have such nice flowers I hope I can find at least some of them this summer I have the "regular " ones but I love the different ones
Gloria
Gloria,
Once you have one kind, you will have to have others. It is almost like an addiction!
Carolyn
your right LOL I'm looking for some for the back yard for this next summer I'm redoing the whole thing
Gloria
Great pictures, perfect for such a dreary cold day today.
I took this at Volo Bog in Northern IL over the summer. I love going there it is so beautiful.
Another from Volo - I love the mix of color not to mention the Blazingstar and Ironweed are some of my favorites :)
Last one - Another one from Volo
plexippus -- Wow! great photos from Volo. I also love those Blazingstar and ironweed. I received those seeds by trade this year, and plan on starting them real soon. I understand that the Blazingstar might not flower the first few years, so I also had some bulbs/corms started last year, so I'm hoping for great things this coming Spring/Summer. Thanks for posting those lovely pics.
Carolyn & Granny -- also lovely pics. Love the Butterflies.
Everyone keep 'em coming.
