Metamorphosis Is Not Easy

It was just ten days ago when I chose the Monarch Butterflies over green beans.  Today was sunny and hot.  There was no doubt that a butterfly was inside this chrysalis this morning.  I found this quite exciting.  Not every Monarch makes it this far.  When I checked back just before lunchtime the butterfly was gone and the chrysalis was empty.  I saw no sign of an orange and black butterfly anywhere near the green beans. That is probably great news for this butterfly.  Ed did point out another green chrysalis on one of the bean plants so the saga continues.

In another part of the garden I passed by two newly hatched Monarchs on the white asters.  They surely are bright and beautiful when they are newly hatched.

 Sometime later when I returned, one of the Monarchs was gone.  The butterfly that remained had a fold on the edge of her right upper wing.  Her left wing did not pump up properly.  It is good to remember that not all eggs get to hatch, not all caterpillars get to be butterflies and not all Monarchs get to migrate. 

There are still some beautiful flowers in the garden. This pink phlox is fragrant and lovely.  The really big excitement for today in the garden came when Ed called my attention to a black butterfly that was cruising around the garden.  I was the lucky one because I was wishing to get a better look to identify the butterfly and it flew over and sat for perhaps ten seconds with its wings open on a flower right in front of me.  It was a black and blue butterfly.  I know that doesn't sound very pretty, but the upper wings of the butterfly were black and the lower ones were bright blue when they caught the sunlight.  When I came inside and checked my butterfly book I was almost certain that this was a Pipevine Swallowtail.  Most of the blue butterflies around here are tiny.  I love to see them but this butterfly was the size of a Monarch or perhaps even a bit bigger.  I was totally captivated.  Now I will be looking for a place to get a native Pipevine.  Yes it is true that we are just north of  the Pipevine swallowtail's range but I saw one and I want more.  I will dream tonight of big beautiful black and blue butterflies in next years garden. 

Fool With Mother Nature Fool

We are located near the northern limits of the Monarch Butterfly's natural range.  They come here to lay the eggs that will create the butterflies that will complete the migration flight to Mexico.  Milkweed is encouraged to grow here as a food source for the caterpillars.  Left to follow its natural cycle, milkweed flowers just after school is out for the summer.  That is about the time that the first Monarchs appear here.  They do feed on the milkweed flowers but they also feed on many other flowers.  It is the milkweed leaves that are critically important to the survival of the butterflies.    They, and their near relatives, are the only source of acceptable food for the caterpillars.  My concern has focused on the fact that the plants are nearly spent when the caterpillars need a food source.

My interference in the natural order is to mow several acres of former farm fields that now grow milkweed.  A mowing or two force the milkweed plants to start growing again.  This creates bright green young leaves suitable for caterpillar food.  We have seen female butterflies depositing their eggs on the underside of these new leaves.  This is a high point in our summer since we feel that we are helping this threatened species survive at least just a little longer.

A recent walk among the insects revealed this robust looking caterpillar feeding on an old tough nearly dead leaf.  It would appear that the normal order is working just fine without our help.  Reality aside, I will likely continue to mow the milkweed fields creating extensive stands of young plant growth.

This egg hatched in our garden.  Despite milkweed's extensive deep root system, we continue to allow far too many plants to claim parts of our garden beds.  Butterflies and their caterpillars add greatly to the events unfolding in our gardens.  Wire fence is hardly a natural site for the transformation from worm to butterfly to occur but that location is commonly used here.  A casual walk in the garden recently revealed a newly emerged butterfly drying its wings while clinging to a section of wire fence.

This chrysalis formed on a grass leaf.  We are working to clear our planting areas before the weeds drop their seed load.  This natural treasure went unnoticed until the leaf had been pulled.  Becky used her weaving skills to attach the leaf to a piece of wire fence.  Orange and black color patterns can be seen on the developing butterfly.  We hope to soon see this new butterfly fly free.  In this instance if the weed had simply been thrown on the compost pile the butterfly would probably have perished.  As far as mowing milkweed is concerned, our interference may not be necessary but we choose to think that the survival rate for caterpillars feeding on new leaves may be higher than those eating nearly dead leaves.

Not Just A Monarch, A Princess

Yesterday, the Monarch butterfly chrysalis that I have been carefully avoiding when I pick my green beans since September 6th,  looked like this.  It was cold this morning, 40 degrees, so I didn't know if anything exciting would happen today even though it was sunny.

It was about 3:00 in the  afternoon when I took the camera out to the garden to check on the butterfly.
The chrysalis was empty.

There below the chrysalis on the wire fence was the butterfly.  In spite of the wind the butterfly maintained a firm grip on the wire.  I took lots of out of focus pictures hoping to get one with its wings extended.  Finally I got a chance to see that this Monarch is a Princess.  The two scent glands that mark Monarch males are not there.

Isn't she a beauty?  This was definitely worth the wait.  She doesn't need the fence any more.  Tomorrow I can pick all the green beans that are ready.

Before I came in the house she had  fluttered to the ground.   The last time I saw her she had climbed up a lily stalk to get as much sun as possible on those gorgeous wings.  I never realized that she would have such a beautiful face!

Worth A Closer Look

After hard rain during the night, the garden remained wet today.  With the rain we are finally getting some green beans.  It's really not a great idea to pick green beans when the plants are wet, but if you take a closer look, there is another obstacle to moving the fence that surrounds the green beans.

Dripping wet but looking good, a monarch butterfly chrysalis hangs from the wire fence.

After the rain the Autumn Joy sedum has flattened out.  The weight of the water adds to the weight of all those flowers.  Their fragrance is heavy in the air.  It is not a scent that I find appealing.

A closer look at the sedum reveals a "Marge Simpson " spider and her web.  She has been there for several days and seems to find it a good hunting spot.

Fall is the time for lots of  purple and yellow composite flowers in the garden.  New England asters and Rudebeckia triloba add more than color to the garden.  They provide pollen and nectar for the bees that will be used to make food needed this winter.

A closer look reveals the tiny yellow flowers that open a few at a time, giving the flower the maximum amount of bloom time to produce seed and giving the bees the maximum amount of time to visit.
At first glance there is a lot to see in the garden, but if you just stop to take a closer look, you can see so much more!

Bulbs and Garden Friends

I arrived just a bit late with the camera. I wanted to get a picture of Ed planting bulbs. These are not just any bulbs. They came all the way from Buffalo. I didn't buy them there, although I have purchased bulbs in Buffalo in the distant past. These are the special kind of bulbs that are passed from one gardener to another. Bulbs with a history. These narcissus bulbs came from Kathy Purdy, a great blogger I met this July at the bloggers' convention. It's really her story, so click on her name to read it. I know this picture is mostly of dirt, and Ed's foot, but if you look closely you can see another friend in the picture.


A closer look reveals a Monarch chrysalis on the wire cage. Perhaps it is too late for this friend to become a butterfly. We left him undisturbed. Depending on the weather he may have his chance.

Later Ed and I watched as this woolly bear caterpillar tried to climb up out of the hole where Ed had been  standing. The dirt was loose and several times he tumbled back to the bottom of the hole. I confess I have had a thing for woolly bears since I was a child. They never fail to make me smile. I reached down and gently picked up my little garden friend, lifting him up to the lawn. He curled up in a tight ball as they always do. I guess I made him a bit tense, but I hope I helped him on his way to where ever he was going.