Sunday, September 29, 2019

Beautiful Butterflies ... and Flowers

My neighbor Mary, who has a beautiful flower garden as well as a vegetable garden, shared some amazing butterfly photos that she and her daughter recently took. Monarch butterflies have been in the neighborhood all summer - and they're still here... (I hope that means that our warm weather will continue for a while!) 
Here are their three butterfly close-ups...together with Mary's comments:
The first picture is one that Kim took on her phone. The monarch seems to be perfectly fitting the curve of the Cimicifuga plant.  This plant is a perennial can grow up to 150 cm (about 6 feet) and only starts blooming in September.  It also attracts numerous bees






The second was taken through our front window.  This monarch is perched on a Tithonia or Mexican sunflower.  This plant is considered an annual in Canada.  I bought the seeds last year and was impressed by how the butterflies gravitated to it.  So I bought more seeds this year and planted them in various locations around the yard. This plant can also grow up to 150 cm (about 6 feet).  We can sit on the couch and watch them land.  A real treat.

The third picture is not a monarch, but I believe it is called a ‘Painted Lady’ butterfly.  Most notably, they are slightly smaller than the monarch and have white spots at the tip of the wings.  Their bodies are more moth-like.

Mary's photos have inspired me to hunt for Mexican sunflower seeds - and maybe even a Cimicifuga!

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