Gardeners! Share your garden photos and garden chatter here.

[terri]

Let him chow down. We plant bronze fennel and parsley for the "Jeffs" every year. Check out "Jeff" in MIB 2.

I think those herbs will attract black swallowtails to lay their eggs.

The Swamp Milkweed is different - but those cats do look similar, I'll grant you that. I couldn't find him again, after getting that photo.

 

[SquarePeg]

Found this guy happily munching and crawling around one of my swamp milkweed plants. This particular plant has already been chomped on by a passing deer and is trying to rally. I noticed some chewed leaves so started to look.

Could this be a Monarch caterpillar? Kinda looks like one, and Swamp Milkweed is their host plant.

Anyone know their cats?

@SquarePeg what's your best guess?

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Definitely a monarch caterpillar. Looks big enough to go off to pupate.

We've had a lot of rain so far this June. Hot and rainy. The good news is how much my Gateway Joe pye weed is loving it.

There's no perspective here, I know, but these are all about 5 ft tall already. Just now starting to bloom, which seems kind of early. They've been in the ground one full year.

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My dwarf Joe pye is about 3’ so far but it’s not in the sunniest spot so it’s always a bit behind. No blooms yet.

I think those herbs will attract black swallowtails to lay their eggs.

The Swamp Milkweed is different - but those cats do look similar, I'll grant you that. I couldn't find him again, after getting that photo.

He is probably in his J hang on your house somewhere. Look up.

Yes black swallowtails like fennel, dill and parsley. I have yet to see a single butterfly in my garden this year. Lots of tiny little moths and many many many dragonflies and bees. No butterflies. But I don’t have a ton of stuff in Bloom right now so I’m not surprised.

 

[terri]

He is probably in his J hang on your house somewhere. Look up.

Oh, my! Yes, he was a big fat guy and clearly enjoying his stay. I'll look for him tomorrow!

 

[terri]

I have yet to see a single butterfly in my garden this year. Lots of tiny little moths and many many many dragonflies and bees. No butterflies.

Almost the same thing here, though I've spotted some mystery butterflies that won't land long enough for me to get a photo. That's why this fatty cat caught me off guard! I've seen no monarchs, swallowtails or anyone else yet.

My coneflowers are just about ready to pop, so I think that will change over the next few days.

 

[SquarePeg]

Almost the same thing here, though I've spotted some mystery butterflies that won't land long enough for me to get a photo. That's why this fatty cat caught me off guard! I've seen no monarchs, swallowtails or anyone else yet.

My coneflowers are just about ready to pop, so I think that will change over the next few days.

Same here. I have one bloom so far but dozens of buds.

 

[terri]

I just checked again and the little guy is still there.

He is now hanging out on the smallest shoots of the milkweed - only about 6 inches above ground.

Gonna be a pretty one!

 

[SquarePeg]

I just checked again and the little guy is still there.

He is now hanging out on the smallest shoots of the milkweed - only about 6 inches above ground.

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Gonna be a pretty one!

He’s probably safer from the birds and the wasps down there. He looks ready to pop!!

 

[SquarePeg]

Haven’t seen any monarchs up here yet. Really haven’t seen any butters other than a few cabbage whites flitting in the clover. Lots of dragon flies around this week. We’re under a tornado watch today. Fingers crossed it doesn’t turn into anything.

 

[cgw]

Gro-bag spuds almost ready. Expanded last year's experiment this season. New potatoes are killer! So cool to crank out small luxuries like these steps from the patio door.

 

[terri]

Haven’t seen any monarchs up here yet. Really haven’t seen any butters other than a few cabbage whites flitting in the clover. Lots of dragon flies around this week. We’re under a tornado watch today. Fingers crossed it doesn’t turn into anything.

Same here - which is why this is all so surprising. My husband commented a few weeks ago that he thought he noticed an orange butterfly while he was cutting the yard - it almost had to be a monarch who laid these eggs on the milkweed. Very different from last year, when they showed up and fluttered around, letting me get pictures, but I never got anything on the newly-planted milkweed. Maybe they sense when a plant is more stable.

The weather this June has been fairly crappy. Tons of rain, struggling flowers, hard to get out and even do basic weeding. We've even had a doe and her little spotted fawn wandering through my yard and the next 2 houses - the only yards that are fairly open to walk through.

This doe has munched on my porch tomatoes, chewed up daylillies (stuff that's tall and easy to each, right?), my Major Wheeler honeysuckle - and even this very swamp milkweed, which would probably be a lot taller now if not for the perfect bite. Oh, and also my cardinal flower got perfectly nipped off at the top. She's a large, beautiful doe and the fawn is sweet - but I've only glimpsed it since they're usually hidden during the day. It's so weird to have deer in such an urban area. Our neighbors have called in a couple of times but I'm wary of anyone trying to round up a doe without knowing there's a fawn stashed away while she forages.

 

[greybeard]

New Additions

 

[SquarePeg]

New Additions

I love geraniums! That first one is a fantastic color. Do you happen to know the name?

 

[SquarePeg]

Garden updates…

False snapdragons. Reseeded from the plants I grew last year using winter sowing. They were first to bloom and they stay in bloom a really long time!

Saved from the clearance rack at Lowe’s. I cut out all the dead pieces and gave it some Alaska Morbloom and it has bounced fully back to fabulous!

Astilbe planted last year has really taken off in this spot. It’s huge.

Remember the new garden bed - I added some trellises and 3 new clematis. This pink one is Comtesse de Bouchard.

Usually I grow basil on my kitchen counter but they had this big beautiful plant for so cheap… so I pinched the top off two of the stems and stuck them in the soil and now I have 3 plants growing. Will repot one and bring it inside. Princess can take the other one to her apartment.

Snapdragons bought one big pot and separated into 3 planters.

Callas from Costco

Major Wheeler still blooming!

First cone flower bloom from the many I winter sowed last year.

More winter sowing results. Shasta daisies. I’m not crazy about these and will probably pull them and give them away in the fall.

 

[Digger...]

I just checked again and the little guy is still there.

He is now hanging out on the smallest shoots of the milkweed - only about 6 inches above ground.

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Gonna be a pretty one!

You gonna let him eat some of it i hope?

 

[greybeard]

I love geraniums! That first one is a fantastic color. Do you happen to know the name?

I've never seen them before either. My wife found them at a little shop but I don't know what they are called.