August 4, 2015
This year in northern Kentucky, the August garden is still very green. There have been many years when that is not the case. We have had an abundance of rainfall in July and a much cooler summer for the most part. We have enjoyed the deck and patio so much more this year. It goes without saying, that the flowers in the garden have done really well, too. Although we have had to water them some, Mother Nature has done most of it for us.
We have been able to enjoy some Tufted Titmice in the spruce tree in the neighbor’s backyard. The tree is just full of these cute little birds. The coloring does not look right in this picture. They are more of a gray color. Earlier this spring, I could hear the male with his ‘peter, peter, peter’ call. It is still hard to capture a ‘good’ picture of any one of them, though! They are just too active and don’t sit still for any time at all. They have been eating the sunflower seeds in the little teacup feeder I made earlier this summer and the bird bath has also lured them into my garden. I will continue to work on capturing a better picture of these adorable little birds with the big black eyes.
The butterfly bush is loaded with butterflies every day, but this is the first Monarch I have seen in the garden this year.
There are quite a few of these little silver-spotted skippers on the butterfly bush. Since they are small and not so very colorful, they are not as easily visible until they start flitting around the bush.
There is a reason this bush is called a ‘butterfly bush’! This majestic Eastern Black Swallowtail seems to love the lavender flowers of the butterfly bush. He has been showing up each day and I have noticed his wings becoming rather tattered as the days go by.
The butterfly bush is such a butterfly magnet, but if you remember last year, I had planned to plant a milkweed plant in the garden. Unfortunately, with vacation, baby arrival, and birthday celebrations, the summer has been a bit of a blur. I realized that I had completely forgotten to buy a milkweed plant! Perhaps the nursery still has one. Put that on my ‘to do’ list.
Reflecting on the garden this week, I realized that of all the beautiful flowers in the garden, the three plants that pull in the birds, butterflies, and bees, are the Liatris, the bee balm, and the butterfly bush. Yes, the little hummingbirds hover around the butterfly bush, too. Discussing this with Dave, I mentioned that it was interesting, the Liatris and the bee balm are native plants. I wonder if that is why there is such activity on those particular plants.
So many of my flowers have bloomed and even though there are still beautiful blooms, I know the end of summer is near. The August garden is winding down, soon autumn will be here, and I will be looking forward to next spring.
