Native Gardening

[JBtheExplorer]

This Spring saw lot of the Tiger ones and none now. Maybe they leave?

Other than one or two, I usually don't start seeing them until August - and sure enough, I started seeing them right at the start of the month.

 

[GBBUDD]

Monarchs were all over the job site today landing and feeding on the mud/ salt

 

[j.w]

Other than one or two, I usually don't start seeing them until August - and sure enough, I started seeing them right at the start of the month.

It was really strange to see so many in Spring here, just tons and while I road my bike each day they were everywhere. Now not a one! Guess they did there thing and are all gone now. Our weather was unusually warm in Spring this year.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

This Spring saw lot of the Tiger ones and none now. Maybe they leave?

They have a short adult stage in their life cycle - just a couple of weeks. Once the adult females lay their eggs they die, then you won't see many of them until the eggs hatch & the caterpillars finish going through the cycle again. Here we have the Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (you'd have the Western version) and I get one flush of the butterflies early in the Spring and then again mid to late Summer.

 

[j.w]

They have a short adult stage in their life cycle - just a couple of weeks. Once the adult females lay their eggs they die, then you won't see many of them until the eggs hatch & the caterpillars finish going through the cycle again. Here we have the Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (you'd have the Western version) and I get one flush of the butterflies early in the Spring and then again mid to late Summer.

Good to know, thanks and I will hopefully see a lot next year again

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Two eastern tiger swallowtails in the garden right now!

An ambush bug

plant hopper

soldier beetle

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Soldier beetles on brown-eyed susans.

Rusty-patched bumble bee

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Lots of action in the brown-eyed susans today.

Ruby-throated hummingbird visiting the Royal catchfly

 

[JBtheExplorer]

A few photos from the native garden this morning. I'm also trying out a new logo/watermark on my photos.

Silver-spotted skipper

Bumble bee and Ambush bug

Ambush bug

Monarch

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Frost Aster. I didn't plant this native specie but I usually see it appear somewhere in my yard/garden each year. It's an aggressive plant that spreads by rhizomes so whenever I see it I usually remove it after its done blooming. I do like them, though!

 

[j.w]

My Asters finally bloomed. Now when they are done I'm digging them up to move them to a better place where they can take over a big space if they like.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillars on my Tulip tree.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

In 2017 I received ten "free" trees by becoming an Arbor Day Foundation member (for $10). I posted about it back then.

Of those 10, half died off, the other half are still in my yard, and three (River Birch, Eastern Redbud, and Sugar Maple) are doing particularly well. Those three are over 12' tall. They were around 12" tall when I got them.

Here's the River Birch today:

& here's a couple older photos of my Eastern Redbud

Not bad for $10!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I did my first ever prairie burn today. It went perfectly smoothly. I've been wanting to do one the past few years but kept putting it off. The weather was perfect this morning. Nothing more than a light breeze in the most favorable direction, so I did it!

 

[j.w]

I did my first ever prairie burn today. It went perfectly smoothly. I've been wanting to do one the past few years but kept putting it off. The weather was perfect this morning. Nothing more than a light breeze in the most favorable direction, so I did it!

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Now what?