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| Autumn may be cold, sleety, foggy, and wet, but worth enjoying for its own sake and as preparation for spring. |
Autumn arrives late here, so most friends and members are shoveling show when flowers are still blooming in NW Arkansas. We finally had our hard frost and most plants fell asleep. Fever Few is the last to remain green, because I am not so needy that I buy ornamental kale.
The hardy bulbs that I planted - mostly daffodils - are stretching out their roots and growing toward the surface. They will finish their journey when the temperature is right in the spring. Each true bulb is a flower ready to grow, a package of stored energy and plant. Ranger Bob gave me some additional bulbs, which I planted with our Laotian neighbor.
I watch to see which plants succumb to the cold first. No shock - the Hidden Lily Wild Ginger leaves collapsed faster than a Church Growth Master Plan. But I know the roots will last and multiply for more leaves next spring. I am using the Big Green Leafy Weed as a natural fence. It has a lot of potential as a green screen.
The last to give up are the two Fever Few plants I just got. In fact, they grew so well and so fast that I now wonder if they will be the miracle cover plant - and beneficial insect host - I have been seeking. I know from Midland that Fever Few can end up blooming in every open spot. That is a plus for me.
About half the leaves are stuck in the trees, because the cold has not been lasting and the winds are mild. No one in our area is raking yet, but I have dibs on three yards. I am more inclined to use deep-rooted plants for soil fertility, but leaves are free carbon, free food for the soil creatures, and a good source of mulch.
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| Bee Balm - a mint - is also butterfly balm. |
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| Bad hair day for Bee Balm means more bees arriving. |
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| How convenient, this easy to grow Bee Balm also feeds Hummingbirds. |
Butterflies, Bees, Birds, and Hummingbirds
I found some used books focusing on planting for creatures. The area I am trying to learn best is butterfly gardening. The others follow suit, as they say in cards.
Butterfly host plants fall into two areas. Most butterfly larvae must have a specific plant or plant family to hatch and grow into the next stage. For example, Pussy Willows host a large array of larvae, so they would be good to grow. But Milkweed is ideal for Monarch butterflies.
Adult butterflies need nectar, so they flock to popular nectar plants, with Joe Pye as the large and generous nectar source. Many nectar plants also attract bees, beneficial insects, and birds.
So, if people want to see more butterflies -
- Use no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or slug bait;
- Look up the best nectar plants for local butterflies;
- Give the sunniest area to the butterfly plants.
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| Ruby Spice - Clethra. Buy it for the wee little insects. Grow it for your olfactory glands, ahhhh. |
Butterfly nectar plants:
- Joe Pye leads the field.
- The Cinnabon shrub - Clethra.
- The mint family - Cat Mint, Mountain Mint, Horse Mint - loved by hummingbirds too.
- The carrot family.
Butterfly larvae hosts:
- Oak trees are top hosts for many species, especially when letting leaf litter stay on the ground.
- Milkweed and its cousins - for Monarch caterpillars.
- Pussy Willow is another major host plant.
The bonus from a butterfly garden is having a magnet for all beneficial insects. The butterfly garden aims at having blooms available from early spring to late fall. Bees and beneficial insects will appreciate the pollen and nectar provided. They will also displace and devour pests at no additional cost.
But wait, there's more. Studying beneficial insects will greatly increase the gardener's trust in the Creator, Whose overlapping layers of defense for the good plants will overwhelm the person who looks at the evidence.
For example, when roses are blooming, I have Hover Flies and Ichneumon Wasps working the bushes, even following the roses into the vase. At the bottom of a perfect John Paul II rose, I often find a tight spider web at the bottom of the cane. In the bloom I often see a tiny spider waiting for food. The petals are close to perfect and toxin free.
Every creature has a purpose, so that must apply to us, the epitome of His Creation. I can follow the path backwards and see how so many things - mostly unpleasant - have contributed to put us in the perfect spot.
The two most inspiring people I know are dealing with complex medical issues. The daughter of one classmate was never going to walk again, but now has been refashioned by surgery to recover. Another is the grandson of a second classmate, born with a different disorder but always reflecting divine and family love.
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| My favorite Falling in Love photo included a spider patrolling his turf, keeping the delicate petals free of pests. Instead of saying, "Eek, a spider! Begone!" I say, "Oh, a spider! Thanks." |
