JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
It was another fantastic summer for my native garden... mostly. I've been dealing with phytoplasma issues with a few species, so I've had to remove those few species entirely from my garden and I'm monitoring others. Otherwise, it was a good year. I had a blast watching the wildlife it attracted. Monarchs were arriving in larger numbers than I've seen since I started my garden.
Bees seemed to have a good year as well. Here's a bee that happened to fly into the shot as I was taking a photo of my Bush's Coneflower.
Great Golden Digger wasps were everywhere in July. They clearly love the nectar that butterflyweed produces, as it's the only specie I ever saw them on.
Last year, I started moving some of the Common Blue Violets in my lawn over to my native garden in hopes of attracting fritillary butterflies. It worked! I found this Variegated fritillary caterpillar on a violet in my garden.
Of course, Monarch caterpillars were a common sight all summer long, also in greater numbers than previous years.
I saw a few Hummingbird moths this year. There were two in the garden as I was taking this photo. Couldn't quite get them both in the photo.
My Scarlet Bee Balm put on a nice show this year. I'm thrilled that I added it last year.
It was highly attractive to Ruby-throated hummingbirds, which was the entire reason for adding it. I saw them flying in and out of the garden quite often during the summer. They also liked the Blue Giant Hyssop you can see in the background.
Red Admiral and Monarch.
Spring Azure butterflies
American Copper
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
Question Mark butterfly
Autumn Meadowhawk
Lastly, this was the first year I added grasses to my garden. It's something I've been avoiding but I knew it was time. Grasses and sedges are an important part of any prairie and it's time I get my garden closer to natural prairie.
I added one Little bluestem and one Side oats grama. Side oats grama looked fantastic this summer, and Little bluestem in autumn. I was able to collect some SOG seeds this fall, so I hope to grow more next season.
Bees seemed to have a good year as well. Here's a bee that happened to fly into the shot as I was taking a photo of my Bush's Coneflower.
Great Golden Digger wasps were everywhere in July. They clearly love the nectar that butterflyweed produces, as it's the only specie I ever saw them on.
Last year, I started moving some of the Common Blue Violets in my lawn over to my native garden in hopes of attracting fritillary butterflies. It worked! I found this Variegated fritillary caterpillar on a violet in my garden.
Of course, Monarch caterpillars were a common sight all summer long, also in greater numbers than previous years.
I saw a few Hummingbird moths this year. There were two in the garden as I was taking this photo. Couldn't quite get them both in the photo.
My Scarlet Bee Balm put on a nice show this year. I'm thrilled that I added it last year.
It was highly attractive to Ruby-throated hummingbirds, which was the entire reason for adding it. I saw them flying in and out of the garden quite often during the summer. They also liked the Blue Giant Hyssop you can see in the background.
Red Admiral and Monarch.
Spring Azure butterflies
American Copper
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
Question Mark butterfly
Autumn Meadowhawk
Lastly, this was the first year I added grasses to my garden. It's something I've been avoiding but I knew it was time. Grasses and sedges are an important part of any prairie and it's time I get my garden closer to natural prairie.
I added one Little bluestem and one Side oats grama. Side oats grama looked fantastic this summer, and Little bluestem in autumn. I was able to collect some SOG seeds this fall, so I hope to grow more next season.
