THE MONARCHS ARE COMING!

Monarchs nectaring on Frostweed in my garden

click to watch video

The weather is moderating, the leaves are beginning to change colors, and THE MONARCHS HAVE STARTED THEIR FALL MIGRATION.  Hopefully you have nectar plants for these flying wonders.  In my garden they are feasting on Lantana, Tithonia, Frostweed, and others.  They also like the nectar from the Milkweed flowers; however, they are unlikely to deposit any eggs there.  All their energy is needed for the long flight to the mountains in Mexico where they overwinter.  The Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains travel to Mexico, while those west of the Rockies have a southern California roosting area.  This migration and overwintering effort is extraordinary.  While the usual lifespan of a butterfly is about two weeks, the lifespan of this migratory group is well over six months.  They are bigger, stronger, and even brighter.  Eventually I hope to visit the fascinating Oyamel fir forests in Mexico to witness this wonder firsthand!  In the meantime, I will revel in the fact that THE MONARCHS ARE COMING!

Monarch nectaring on Tithonia

(click to enlarge)

Monarch nectaring on Bog Sage

(click to enlarge)

Monarch nectaring on Bog Sage

(click to enlarge)

Monarch nectaring on American Basket Flower

(click to enlarge)

Monarch nectaring on Frostweed

(click to enlarge)

Monarch nectaring on "Silver Frost" Buddleia 

(click to enlarge)

THE TWEETING WILL FALL SILENT

Ah, sweet artificial nectar!

(click to enlarge)

Wonder what flavor this is.

(click to enlarge)

Hmm, it's really quite tasty.

(click to enlarge)

Okay buddy, don't even think about it!

 (click to enlarge)

I can see all those guys from here.

(click to enlarge) 

It's going to be quite a flight!

(click to enlarge)

I know that just any day my garden will fall suddenly quiet when my tiny twittering visitors return to their other home.   Since early spring I have enjoyed the constant buzz and chatter among three tiny hummingbirds.  Hummers arrive every spring and provide great joy for several months.  Then in August they start “bulking up” for their long journey south.  Of course they also expend lots of energy in their territorial guarding of favorite blooms and feeders.  They have multiple expressions.  Sometimes it seems as if the twittering is exclaiming “hey, here I am; look at me.”  Other times it may be “get away from that feeder NOW, it’s mine.”  Their aggressive flight and reckless maneuvers amaze and sometimes frighten those in their path.  It’s been fun, but I know soon the garden will again be silent. 

THE FLYING FLOWERS OF SUMMER

The “flying flowers” of summer are amazing!  Who has not watched in awe as these delicate creatures flutter and dance about the garden and drink deeply from the sweet nectar of the blossoms.  Some butterflies are residents, and others are only periodic visitors.  To coax them to linger in your garden, it’s essential to have flowers for nectar and host plants on which they will deposit their eggs.   One of the best online resources about butterflies and butterfly plants is the Dallas County Lepidopterist’s Society.  Find a comfortable place in your garden and take time to enjoy as these “flying flowers” transport you to a tranquil place.

Gulf Fritillary on Lantana

(click to enlarge)

Painted Lady on Zinnia

(click to enlarge)

American Lady on Penta

(click to enlarge)

Common Buckeye

(click to enlarge)

Sulphur on Bog Sage

(click to enlarge)

Tiger Swallowtail on Buddleia

(click to enlarge)

Queen

(click to enlarge)

Monarch on Tithonia

(click to enlarge)

PLANNING NEXT SUMMER'S GARDEN

Look around your garden.  Do you have a few plants that really suffered or even succumbed to our blistering summer?  I certainly do, and now is the best time to make a commitment to those plants which will withstand our super hot summers.  Don’t wait until next April when nurseries stock all those beautiful plants that thrive in 80 degree temps but go into shock when the thermometer registers 100.  Spring time is too late to commit because your resistance will be low, and you will be tempted to try that special plant “just one more time.”  Those plants which are toasty now will be just as toasty next year.  Make your sketches, make your lists, make your promises--do whatever is necessary to make your gardening less stressful next year, but do not wait—START NOW!

Here are a few of my happiest plants in full sun (I’ll suggest part-sun plants later).  They have survived the summer and still look quite good.  Plan for next summer before it's too late!

Lantana (click to enlarge)

Jethro Tull Coreopsis (click to enlarge)

Zexmania (click to enlarge)

Bougainvillea (click to enlarge)

Mexican Sunflower (click to enlarge)

Miss Huff Lantana (click to enlarge)

now for something completely different

Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia)

                           (click to enlarge)

You just never know what you may encounter in the garden.  This morning I noticed what I thought was the beginnings of a wasp nest above the patio door, so I dutifully brought the broom with the intention of knocking it down.  Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was clearly not a nest but rather a very large moth of just over 2 inches in length.  After taking several pictures, I set upon trying to find this critter’s name.  After several passes through Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David Wagner (which also includes the moth/butterfly adult pics), I discovered it is a Hypercompe scribonia or Giant Leopard Moth.  Moths generally fly at night, and we just don’t notice them.  This one, though lethargic in the daylight, was impossible to miss.  One that does fly in the daytime is the Hemaris thysbe or Hummingbird Moth which is sometimes confused with either a Bumble Bee or hummingbird.  Moth caterpillars are usually quite dramatic, and I’ve had a couple of large ones (3 inches long) recently, including the ones shown below.  Maybe I’ll get pics of the moth later.  Be sure to look around your garden, and you, too, may find something completely different!

Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris thysbe)

(click to enlarge)

Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa)

(click to enlarge)

Tobacco Hornworm/Carolina Sphinx (Manduca sexta)

(click to enlarge)