beautiful site...

I have to share some of the sights in my garden the last two days with folks
who can understand why it tickles me so much.  Friday evening (between
storms) I took Izzie, the bulldog, out for her constitutional and Bill
called my attention to a monarch collecting nectar from various plants in
the bed to the right of our driveway near the street.  It kept flirting with
my milkweed (swamp milkweed, asclepiad-sp?) so I'm hopeful it might lay eggs
upon the milkweed so I may enjoy more monarchs.  Monarchs have been very
rare in my area for some time, so it really was a joy to see it.

Speaking of swamp milkweed, I knew I had a pod split and spread it's seed
last fall, but I hadn't seen any more pop up in the bed, but I just found
about 3 plants had wedged themselves at the edge of a "wild" forested area
near the property line in back!  Maybe it'll bring even more monarchs?  I
sure hope so.  Since I don't use bug killer products in my planting beds or
the yard itself, I know the yard is caterpillar friendly.

Then today, I took the phone out to Bill to talk with someone who had called
as he was cutting grass.  I turned back toward the house and spied two
swallowtail butterflies in the "butterfly garden."  One of them was a tiger
swallowtail with the normal black and yellow pattern, but the other was a
black except for the bottom section of wing on both sides.  That area was an
iridescent blue.  Both of them flittered together, landing side by side on
server coneflowers growing there, not quite long enough for me to get my
camera (of course!) but they flew off to another yard together as well.  Is
it possible that the black butterfly was the male counterpart to a female
yellow tiger swallowtail?  Any ideas?   

Oh, and I think I have a datura blooming!  The scent really is intoxicating!
How wonderful!  It isn't as tall as I thought it would be at about 18", but
the beauty of that white trumpet flower clothed in that magnificent perfume
is a little heaven on earth.

It doesn't take much to make me happy:  decent soil, some plants to tend and
weed, some mulch and compost and for the good Lord to bless me with "flying
flowers" is a bonus!

Blessings,

Bonnie

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