The Butterflies of 2024

Monarch

Happy New Year!

It's winter outside my door, of course, but during the "warm" months, I enjoy tracking and counting butterflies during my hikes and garden adventures, and then reporting my sightings to wisconsinbutterflies.org.

This post includes a few of my butterfly sightings of the past year. There were many more; I tried to include one photo of each species, but I included two monarchs (and some monarch eggs) and two common buckeyes...just because. I also saw some great spangled fritillaries, but the photos were not good. And, of course, I saw many more butterflies that I didn't photograph.

This exercise reminds me why I so enjoy spring, summer, and fall in my part of the world. Winter, meh. Anyway, here goes...

 

American Lady

Black Swallowtail

Cabbage White

Common Buckeye

Fiery Skipper

Eastern Tailed Blue

Least Skipper

Monarch

Monarch Eggs (and Ant)

Mourning Cloak

Common Buckeye

Northern Broken Dash

Orange Sulphur

Painted Lady

Eastern Comma

Pearl Crescent

Red Admiral

Silver-Spotted Skipper

Red-Spotted Purple

Sachem

Clouded Sulphur

Summer Spring Azure

Viceroy

All photos were taken in local natural areas, at botanical gardens, and on my own property. I miss the butterflies, and I look forward to many sightings in the year ahead.

Surprising Garden Remnants in Late-Autumn Vases

I'm pleased to have so many blooms still bright and available this late in the season. Still no hard frost, but the forecast says it's just around the corner, likely sometime in the week ahead.

Most plants in the garden are faded and flopped or dormant, but the ones shown here reside in protected areas near the house and the rock wall.

I'm joining in with Cathy's In a Vase on Monday meme, and she's challenged us with the theme of "11": She's celebrating the 11th anniversary of her meme! So here are 11 plants, in little vases, in no particular order. I'm including the common names and genera and species, but please forgive me for leaving off the varieties--some tags are gone at this late date.

Marigolds (Tagetes patula)

New Guinea Impatiens (I. hawkeri)

'Autumn Joy' Sedum (S. spectabile)

Mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Fuchsias (F. hybrida)

Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta)

Impatiens (I. walleriana)

Lantanas (L. camara)

Zinnias (Z. elegans)

Angelonia (A. angustifolia)

Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima)

It's been a gentle transition this year from summer through fall. I'm thankful for these blessings.

And thanks, again, to Cathy for hosting! Stay warm, everyone. On to winter...

Graceful Vases With Buds and Blooms

Center: Fuchsia hybrida 'Dollar Princess.' Clockwise from top left: Tagetes patula 'Durango Outback Mix,' Chrysanthemum morifolium, Impatiens walleriana 'Beacon Violet Shades,' Clinopodium nepeta, Zinnia elegans 'State Fair Mix,' Lantana camara 'Bandolero Pink,' Impatiens x hybrida 'SunPatiens Compact Hot Pink,' Zinnia elegans 'Zowie! Yellow Flame.'

Surprisingly, many plants are still blooming here in Southern Wisconsin. Just a very light frost has allowed the plants shown above to survive and even thrive...so far. It won't be long now, but I gathered some remaining buds, blooms, and foliage for some vases.



This vase (above) includes quite a few Zinnia (Z. elegans) buds and blooms.



Most are 'Zowie! Yellow Flame' Zinnias.



Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) adds some structure.



I also included some Weigela foliage (W. florida).



More Zinnia buds.



In the lady vase: one bloom, some buds, and some foliage.



The star of her hat is a 'State Fair Mix' Zinnia (Z. elegans).



Some Chrysanthemum foliage and Cosmos (C. bipinnatus 'Sensation Mix') buds and foliage give her hat some height and personality.



Finally, another vase in another room displays more Zinnias and Dusty Miller.

We're having a warm autumn, and I'm welcoming the continuing options for cut flowers. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting "In a Vase on Monday."

Berries on My Mind

 Common Yew (Taxus baccata)

Lately I've been noticing and thinking about berries, so I thought I'd reflect on them here on the blog. Some are poisonous and some are edible, but this post is simply about how beautiful they are and how they provide food for birds and other wildlife. For information on human edibility, check out this link. All berries shown here are in my garden.

Smooth Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Fuchsias (F. 'Marinka') (unripe berries above the flowers)

White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda)

Cranberrybush Viburnum (V. trilobum)

Beautyberry (Callicarpa 'Pearl Glam')

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)

There are more, but this was a quick reflection. How are the berries doing in your garden? Happy autumn!