Gardening information for zone 6 Ohio in neutral clay soil. The backbone of my gardens Hosta, Heather,
Heuchera, flowering shrubs, perennials, ground covers, conifers, and trees.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Swallowtail Butterfly Echinacea Daisy Daylily

Happy July 4th to all of you. Hope you are all enjoying your day. The butterflies and bees are very active here. This Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly visited about 3 PM in the high heat of the day yesterday, seemingly unaffected as it busied itself around the Echinacea and a little on the Daisies. No question the Echinacea is choice to them.

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It's very pretty with it's little dots of color and does much more fluttering around than the Monarch Butterfly from last week and is not as trusting either. It fluttered around to a lot of flowers trying to avoid me, but wouldn't outright leave because of me. Guess it felt it was there first and claimed them all as his.

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The Echinacea and Daisies are really blooming themselves away. I guess I can understand the little Swallowtail fluttering around so much, it couldn't decide which one to go to next.

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Hydrangea Forever and Ever. This has such beautiful blooms on it, but it has not been a good grower in my zone. I got two of these to fit in between my Ninebarks and wanted heights of a few feet, but so far they've died back to the roots and new growth is very little. This will be the first year after having them that they aren't moved during the year and if in the Spring they don't come back on old wood I will have to use something else here as they just aren't big enough with having to regrow each year.

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I have numerous different Daylilies blooming right now and even with all the new ones out there I still love my antique Kwanzo Daylily and wouldn't be without it. It's blooms are so beautiful. The only problem is that Daylily blooms don't last but a day so I don't allow them to become primary in the gardens.

41 comments:

elaine said...

Beautiful pics - I have the same problem with Hydrangeas, they won't grow for me - I have one that hasn't grown an inch in two years - it will have to come out I'm afraid.

Anonymous said...

Lovely pictures! So sorry about your hydrangea - they really seem to thrive in New England, but here in South Jersey they do okay. I have some coming from my late grandmother's garden before the house sells. She and my grandfather lived there since 1937 and what lush gardens they tended there. Both gone now, and we're all taking certain plants that have meaning. I only hope they do not die in the move.
Joy!
Miss Kathy

Raffaella said...

My eyes and my heart are happy to see all these colours! Thank you!

Diane at My Cottage Garden said...

Those coneflowers mixed with the daisies are just stunners!

Happy Fourth of July!

Julie Marie said...

I just love visiting your gardens... and the butterflies are so beautiful!... Happy Fourth of July to you!... xoxo Julie Marie

Becky said...

What a beautiful garden. Here in the south I've been told to plant hydrangeas on the south side of your property. I think they do better without the western sun beating down on them. :)

Andrea said...

That swallowtail is so beautiful, it has counterparts here and beautiful too. But that Echinacea we dont have here, the only counterpart i see is in the herbal medicine as extracts, LOL.

WhyWeLoveGreen said...

Oh my goodness, you have such a beautiful garden! Glad to see it's attracting butterflies! I'm your newest follower from the Super Stalker Sunday Blog Hop. I'd love it if you'd follow me too at Why We Love Green at http://whywelovegreen.blogspot.com

E said...

beautiful gardens! and pictures!

Mark and Gaz said...

Your blooms are lovely Cher, especially the Echinacea :) Hope you had a lovely 4th of July!

HolleyGarden said...

Isn't that the most beautiful butterfly! I get more excited to see swallowtails than i do Monarchs. Your echinaceas and daisies do look wonderful.

MelsDeals said...

Great pics! I'm blog hopping today and just followed yours. Have a great day.
Melissa
http://melsdeals.blogspot.com

Donna Heber said...

What an amazing picture of that Swallowtail! You have so many beautiful Echinaceas. Thank you for your lovely comments.

The Summer Kitchen Girls said...

Hi Cher! Thanks for following us! We're happy to say that we are one of your new followers as well!! Love all of your gorgeous flowers....our coneflowers haven't shown their sunny faces yet - so it was great seeing yours!
Enjoy your day!
Kalra & Karrie

Malar said...

Such a beautiful butterfly! So colourful!
Your Echinacea and daisies bed are so pretty! it's like it the flower garden!

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

Your daylilies is stunning!

Lona said...

Love your Daisy and Coneflower bed! Yours looks so much healthier than mine. I love these two plants in my gardens because they are so reliable and grow in this hard old clay of mine.
The double lily is such a pretty one. Your garden looks so good.

Olga Poltava said...

Hi! I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Your echinaceas and daisies are so pretty. The hydrangea is so lovely and I hope it will grow better next year.

Fishtail Cottage said...

In my opinion, Hydrangeas are hit & miss - sometimes they can thrive in a garden & others do not. I believe so much depends on the environment of that particular area. I was told 'shade only' but they grow great in sun here in seattle too! i would give it time, i'll bet next year it will be more established & happier (which means more blooms)! thank you for sharing over here at Cottage Flora Thursday's Garden Party! oxox, tracie

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Your echinacea are wonderful as is the butterfly. Echinacea do NOT like our heat and humidity, so I enjoy them through other gardener's gardens.

Hydrangea is another flower I wish I could grow, but it's not crazy about our temps down here either.

Daylilies, I have one at the moment.

Thanks for visiting my blog, your kind comment and becoming a follower.

FlowerLady

pogonip said...

I'm jealous of your monarch butterfly--it's been two years since I've seen one. I've always wondered about the everblooming hydrangeas. I think I'm just going to pot mine up and bring it in each winter! Just love your echinacea. That color is amazing!

Sissy said...

I never seem to have butterflies! (or maybe I'm never patient enough to sit and watch for them??)
I have been reading your Yorkie site as well, did you get my message?? I had a question and you, my dear, are definitely an expert!

Tina´s PicStory said...

So beautiful flowers! If you like join us on *Weekendflowers* :) LG Tina

VW said...

I had to laugh when I read your note about not letting daylilies become primary in the garden. I'm afraid I've done just that in my front and west beds. Well, daylilies are a main player, anyway. But so many of them have such a high bud count now that they do put on a show for a couple of weeks, longer if they rebloom, especially if there are several plants massed together. My first daylily bloomed today and I'm excited to start the season!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Hi, I must have found you through FlowerLady. I got on your blog earlier today, but didn't get a chance to leave a comment.

You have some pretty blooms there. I love the butterfly photo and the one with the daisies with the coneflowers.

That hydrangea reminds me of the one I have that is supposed to be short. It dies back in the winter. I don't know about other types of them. This is 'Pia'. Maybe you could move it to a different spot. It's pretty!

Cathy and Steve said...

The butterfly IS divine! As for the hydrangea, I'd be patient with it.

In general, hydrangeas don't like to be moved and so that would have stunted its growth a bit.

I'd give it some food, some winter protection (cover it with some salt-marsh hay, straw, or some leaves)) and some gentle loving (cultivate around it) and it will probably surprise you.

I have the same one and it grows in a shady place (which they generally don't prefer) and although it took a year after we moved it to its current location to really start to grow, it has been an excellent performer the past two years and more than doubled in size.

These do tend to die back considerably over winter, but like butterfly bushes, the root and stump survive nicely and send up lots of shoots in spring. Ours is about 3 feet tall and easily as wide now, and since ours grows near a lot of pines, that has affected the blossom color, which we love!

Diana LaMarre said...

I am having the same problem with my three-year old Hydrangeas. I think mine are called Endless Summer. They have not grown at all in three years! I just moved two of them last month, hoping they would do better in the new area. So far it does not look good.

I do like your mix of Echinacea and Daisies. I have a problem with echinacea, too. They just don't spread for me. I am lucky if they return for two years. It is very frustrating.

I came to see your Ninebarks, so I shall continue reading on....

miruku said...

Looks like your garden is awake now. So many beautiful flowers, butterflies are dancing too!

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Hi Cher! I love the second picture especially: simple plant combination, but oh, how beautiful!

Travel With Lulu said...

I would love to be a butterfly in your lovely garden - it is stunning :) XOL

Patty Marker said...

That butterfly is gorgeous. I love your patch of daisies and coneflowers, so pretty. I wish I had better luck with echinecea I just don't have the right growing conditions. You have such a beautiful garden.

Marguerite said...

Beautiful garden and photos! I'm over from the Sunday hop and am your newest follower! Would love for you to stop by and follow me back!

http://cajundelights.blogspot,com/

PAINTORDIG.blogspot.com said...

Endless summer hydrangeas take forever to grow! This is the third year for mine and it is beginning to take of now. I still love the old triple daylily too!

Trainer John said...

That old Kwanso Flore Plena day lily is very common here in Plymouth (UK) - including in my own garden. I find if I grow it in a little shade (not too much or it won't flower) the individual blooms last longer. With your hotter summers you might do even better in a slightly shaded spot.

Swallowtails and Monarchs are not found in the UK except as rarities so that's a pleasure I'll never have in my own garden.

It's a shame about your mophead hydrangea. Here in the UK they are so easy to grow that they are often despised as common. A shame - they are very beautiful plants if the colours are pure red (alkaline soils), blue (acid soils, or white. What else gives such a mass of colour in a hardy shrub?

Balisha said...

I love that Kwanzo Lily. I have never seen that one before. Your flowers are so pretty...lovely combinations.
Balisha

greggo said...

had plenty of those swallows last year

Autumn Belle said...

The butterflies are enjoying themselves in your beautiful garden. How I wish I can grow daylilies too.

Unknown said...

The Kwanzo Daylily is a stunner, I've never seen one like it. I truly envy your mass planting of Echinacea, stunning blooms and I envy your butterfly guests.

Anonymous said...

stunning ! the butterflies are georgeous! its amazing how you got that close! great pics!

Theresa said...

Your flowers are amazing!! I am your newest follower! I would appeciate you checking out my blog also and possibly following.TheresaV
chatterfromtexas.blogspot.com

Siamapieceofcake said...

Stopping by to say hello.