Gardeners! Share your garden photos and garden chatter here.

[SquarePeg36 7]

@terri that’s a black swallowtail. The males have black and yellow coloring. The females tend to also have some blue spots. Their bodies are black w white spots.

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

Those dahlias look great! Lots of variety there.

Congrats on the Major Wheeler finally budding! Looks like he's taken off on the trellis.

Mine has been doing the same thing - after some initial blooming when first planted, the plant decided to focus on spreading up and around the trellis. It's been several days since I inspected it closely for blooms.

Once I added the chicken wire to fill out the trellis it really took off. Not sure if that was a coincidence or if the trellis alone had too many gaps for it to easily climb before. Also been feeding it with the fish emulsion.

In other news, I scored another rain barrel - free, just needs a new spigot which I’ve already ordered. Going to paint this one to match the house and put it out front by the butterfly garden.

 

[Photo Lady]

From my garden today.. The Hibiscus gave me three ... all three different colors..

 

[jeffashman9]

The Texas heat is slowly killing off what I have.

 

[terri33 4]

This morning's newcomer:

Sorry for the bad cell phone pics. This guy was also getting harassed by a couple of bumblebees, and moved fast, so the shots are all a little soft.

He's the smallest I've seen out there - wings look a little ragged. Is he a butterfly, or a skipper of some kind? I've read about skippers but haven't ID'd one yet.

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

Hmm maybe Silver Spotted Skipper? Or Barred Skipper?

 

[terri33 4]

Hmm maybe Silver Spotted Skipper? Or Barred Skipper?

Thanks! That gives me something to Google, at least - I was going down a rabbit hole....

 

[terri33 4]

Hmm maybe Silver Spotted Skipper? Or Barred Skipper?

More likely to be the silver spotted skipper, I think, because they're so common in North America. The colors are right even though the spots don't really match the description. I'll keep watching.

It's been interesting to get new ones every few days. Should be fun trying to learn how to recognize them.

 

[Rickbb64 2]

I have a row of green beans that are healthy, vigorous with lots of vines, not a single flower, not one.

Weird. Never had this happen in 50 years of veg gardening.

A second row of a very similar variety is normal, loads of flowers and beans.

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

More likely to be the silver spotted skipper, I think, because they're so common in North America. The colors are right even though the spots don't really match the description. I'll keep watching.

It's been interesting to get new ones every few days. Should be fun trying to learn how to recognize them.

I’m jealous. We had a couple early summer and lately just one or two here and there. I think it’s two fold. It’s been raining so much so they aren’t out and neither am I. I would normally work out on the deck for a few hours each day but it’s been too humid or too wet so it’s just been quick breaks to let the dog in/out. I’m hoping I’ve just been missing their visits and it’s not a drastic reduction in numbers.

 

[cgw115 141]

Deckside Day Lily
Nikon D7200+MicroNikkor 40/2.8g
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Colors reminded me of an old Waltah Clarke print!

 

[terri33 4]

Deckside Day Lily
Nikon D7200+MicroNikkor 40/2.8g
---
Colors reminded me of an old Waltah Clarke print!

View attachment 267488

Beautiful shot!

 

[terri33 4]

I’m jealous. We had a couple early summer and lately just one or two here and there. I think it’s two fold. It’s been raining so much so they aren’t out and neither am I. I would normally work out on the deck for a few hours each day but it’s been too humid or too wet so it’s just been quick breaks to let the dog in/out. I’m hoping I’ve just been missing their visits and it’s not a drastic reduction in numbers.

I don't think they like the rain. The best action I've had out there has been on the prettiest days.
It poured here yesterday for a couple of hours, and this morning it seemed very subdued. I walked around and saw very little beyond a few bees.

Cleared up beautifully this afternoon, and suddenly I was watching the black swallowtail fluttering around the parsley - and then a monarch came by. But until then, seemed like nothing was going on.

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

I don't think they like the rain. The best action I've had out there has been on the prettiest days.
It poured here yesterday for a couple of hours, and this morning it seemed very subdued. I walked around and saw very little beyond a few bees.

Cleared up beautifully this afternoon, and suddenly I was watching the black swallowtail fluttering around the parsley - and then a monarch came by. But until then, seemed like nothing was going on.

Oh check that parsley over the next few weeks for tiny swallowtails!!! First sign was about a week after we saw the butterfly in the garden. Looked like some specks of dirt on the leaves that disappeared. About 3 weeks after seeing her they started to show themselves.

 

[Photo Lady]

Here it is...finally the first bloom of my oldest favorite clematis that i thought was a gone for good...and it has a whole lot more blooms pending........