Gardeners! Share your garden photos and garden chatter here.

[SquarePeg]

That's great! You were absolutely right, my boy was raring to go. He hadn't moved away from the chrysalis since I found him, but when I stepped out a few minutes ago, he was on the opposite side of the net and fluttering around. Clearly wanted out! He looked exactly like yours.

We lifted the netting and before I could even get a hand in, he took off. No pictures!

Last seen going aloft over the honeysuckle towards the neighbor's backyard. They still have tons blooming over there.

I have 3 more chrysalises under the net. Yesterday there was still a fat cat in there, but no sign of it today. I removed two small parsley plants: the bigger ones are holding up the stakes for the chrysalises.

The netting is great for protecting them from birds and wasps but not great for when they emerge as butterflies. They need to be able to climb up and flap their wings away from the net. I’m not sure if I posted already that I ended up getting a pop up enclosure from Amazon with a zipper to open and close one side. I put the potted fennel with the cats right inside of it. When they pupated on the sticks I moved the sticks to a pot of just soil and put that in the enclosure and put what was left of the fennel plant back in the garden.

 

[SquarePeg]

Looks like another one will be emerging today or tomorrow. This was bright green yesterday.

 

[terri]

We're both on Butterfly Watch now!

 

[SquarePeg]

It’s a girl!!

Another lunchtime emergence which I just missed this time as she was still drying her wings when I got out there. Once she started fluttering around I put her on the zinnias. She took off to hide in the dahlias and seemed to be perfect in every way.

Had what looked like yesterday’s male feeding in the garden all morning. Photos to follow once I download them. Got some good ones I think.

 

[terri]

She's gorgeous!

I've had no new openings, assuming they sensed the bad weather/rain events we've experienced over the last few days. I'm looking every morning.

Since it's a girl, hide the fennel or you'll be birthing her babies in the Spring!

 

[SquarePeg]

She's gorgeous!

I've had no new openings, assuming they sensed the bad weather/rain events we've experienced over the last few days. I'm looking every morning.

Since it's a girl, hide the fennel or you'll be birthing her babies in the Spring!

Last one looks like it will be today or tomorrow!

 

[SquarePeg]

@terri just released the last one. Looked like a female but she quickly left the flower I put her on and flew up into my neighbor’s tree before I could get a really good look. I’m happy that none will be over wintering. I can take the enclosure down and store it in the shed for next year.

 

[Rickbb]

Saw a monarch in one of the flower beds while out mowing this morning. First one I’ve seen here if a few years.

 

[terri]

@terri just released the last one. Looked like a female but she quickly left the flower I put her on and flew up into my neighbor’s tree before I could get a really good look. I’m happy that none will be over wintering. I can take the enclosure down and store it in the shed for next year.

Congrats! You did so well with them.

I am starting to wonder about my last three. One looks a little brown and small, and it may not be viable. We'll see. The other two are green and large, just seem to be taking longer than expected. The sun is returning tomorrow and may jolt them into action.

 

[SquarePeg]

Congrats! You did so well with them.

I am starting to wonder about my last three. One looks a little brown and small, and it may not be viable. We'll see. The other two are green and large, just seem to be taking longer than expected. The sun is returning tomorrow and may jolt them into action.

The green ones I had turned dark brown then clearbefore eclosing. The chrysalises got really thin and we could see the colors of the wings inside.

 

[SquarePeg]

Couple of new dahlias finally blooming. These are the ones that I planted on Mother’s Day as tubers. They’re much later to bloom than the ones I started indoors then transplanted The lavender and the magenta are just beautiful together. Can’t decide which I like more.

 

[terri]

Couple of new dahlias finally blooming. These are the ones that I planted on Mother’s Day as tubers. They’re much later to bloom than the ones I started indoors then transplanted The lavender and the magenta are just beautiful together. Can’t decide which I like more.

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That's wonderful, having something so beautiful blooming this late in the summer. I agree they look gorgeous together. My preference is the lavender, but then blue/violet is one of my fave favorite colors over a red/magenta violet.

Now that my uber-project of creating the berm to control flooding and getting a bunch of ilex and perennials in it, next year I can turn my attention to some early and late bloomers. Always something to plan for!

 

[terri]

The green ones I had turned dark brown then clearbefore eclosing. The chrysalises got really thin and we could see the colors of the wings inside.

This morning I feel a little better about the smaller one. It's developed a dark line along the side, and I can now see a pattern inside. The other two are still very green.

Sunny days ahead at last, so that one might emerge.

 

[SquarePeg]

That's wonderful, having something so beautiful blooming this late in the summer. I agree they look gorgeous together. My preference is the lavender, but then blue/violet is one of my fave favorite colors over a red/magenta violet.

Now that my uber-project of creating the berm to control flooding and getting a bunch of ilex and perennials in it, next year I can turn my attention to some early and late bloomers. Always something to plan for!

Dahlias and zinnias and cosmos all bloom from mid summer to first frost here. I don’t think any are native though. But non native annuals are not as bad for the local environment as non native perennials. If you’re interested will send you some dahlia tubers for next year.

 

[SquarePeg]

Topped off the tomato plants and removed the majority of the leaves so the sun can ripen the rest of the fruit. Even to my fairly inexperienced eyes, This one is a beast!!! If all of them make it before first frost that will be 35+ tomatoes from this one plant! For this region, that’s a winner!!