Next, the butterflies?

/ August 15, 2015

The rest of the gang in the fenced-off triangle in backyard of our Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood have come to bloom.

Whites and multi-colored join in.

Whites and multi-colored join in.

The purple-top, the highest in the bunch and the one planted first in our butterfly garden by my dear wife Karen, has been joined by the white sprout transplanted as a sprig sent north by my sister Frannie from her Long Island backyard, the multi-colored variety, and the wide white one last put in several seasons ago.

See how they grow.

See how they grow.

And Karen point out that there is indeed a newcomer butterfly bush this year, even though we did not enter another into the crowd this spring. A lone, skinny, different-hued purple plant is growing tall and proud at the front of the triangle. I think it may have come over the fence as a seedling from Good Neighbor Tim’s yard.

White and multi-colored, ready for a close-up.

White and multi-colored, ready for a close-up.

The size of the blossom of the white plant that started its life down south in Suffolk County, near the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay, continues to astound me. Maybe it was something in Frannie’s soil.

The butterfly bushes should be going strong for months, knock on wood. Now let there be butterflies, please and thank you.

Have you had stray plants show up in your garden this year? Have you had luck transplanting a plant from a faraway place? Why do you think that white butterfly bush has such thick blossoms?

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63 thoughts on “Next, the butterflies?”

      • We all eleven of us spent a lovely week at Lake George near Ticonderoga. No Lacrosse at the moment. I have not forgotten about a possible meet up at the Nation Indoor facility. You know about the International Lacrosse coming to Central and Western NY for the World Championship? Players from Australia and other faraway places all wanting to visit the birthplace of Lacrosse! They are trying to get everything in order for the invasion!

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      • I thought you’d know! Not sure if I will get there during all those festivities but if grandson plays box later, I will be there sometime. He also played for Skaneateles this spring and did well. His coach is Onondaga and teaches in the district.

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  7. They are lovely bro Mark. That transplant could also be courtesy of a lucky shot from a bird in flight. They usually aim for cars that have just been washed, but on occasion, they miss the car and hit a garden. The ones that always hit the car are the Do-Do bird — long O sound there, not to be mistaken with do. Thought I had better make sure that is pronounced right, not to be mistaken for a different matter altogether. I’m just digging that hole deeper with each word here, so shutting up now.

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  8. I love your triangular garden!!! I think the bloom on your white butterfly bush is so full, because from the photo it looks to be a very healthy, vibrant plant. I have had windmill palms seed themselves all over my garden. My backyard will look something out of Los Angeles, or maybe a tropical rain forest. Soon I will need a machete to get to the back of the garden. I also have fig trees that are growing, I have no idea where they came from. As for foreign plants that have come from far away – I really want a Baobab tree – they are so stinking cool looking! I will see if I can include a picture for you. Ooo that didn’t work, let me try again.
    Okay – that was even worse. I will just send a link.
    http://all-that-is-interesting.com/tag/curiosities/
    Finally!!!!
    Tell Karen the garden is beautiful. I will send butterflies your way. Go little butterflies, go to Karen and Mark’s, fly away.

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  12. I’m especially fond of this section of garden, with it’s free and wild look. No doubt the birds, bees, and butterflies make the most of it! So pretty 🙂
    I can’t imagine why the white one is so fluffy, maybe it’s eager to spread its seed!

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  15. Your garden is looking great! I love the angled effect! Meanwhile, here in Florida the eggplant have taken over! LOL! ❤ Happy Saturday, Mark!

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  16. What a beautiful garden Mark – C’mon butterflies check out the l’il bitty in Syracuse!

    My BFF has also marveled at surprise transplants from who-knows-where in her l’il garden in Inglewood Calgary. ❤
    Diana xo

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  17. This corner of the world in your yard is doing fabulously, Mark! I love the peach or orange tiger lilies and the purple ones popping out of the fence. I enjoy the beauty in butterfly bushes and the thoughts of many kinds of fluttering creatures flying around this sweet area you and Karen have created, Mark. 🙂

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  19. Cool garden. I’ve never had a garden although I’ve had the opportunity – just too busy when I had the chance. Now I live in an apartment with no arable land. I love looking at flowers but I am lousy at growing them.

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  20. looks like the band has assembled and are all in place. as you know, gardens are a wonderful mystery and i can’t begin to figure out the logical reasons for why things work as they do )

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  21. Now that I think of it, our lilac bush never bloomed this year, and that’s where I used to see butterflies. I don’t think I’ve seen any butterflies in my yard this year, nor did I see any bees. Lts and lots of bunnies, squirrels and birds, though, so I guess it all balances out.

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  23. Mark, such a great little butterfly garden. We put one in last year and it is getting bigger and better, but slowly here because of the heat and dryness. We planted a lot of milkweed, because Monarchs love it and it is the only thing they eat. We also put in a lot of Lantana, which grows easily and attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. We have one sole Butterfly Bush and it isn’t doing as well as I had hoped. But doing this is such a great idea as you will have a safe haven for all pollinators that way. By the way, Star Lavender is also a good idea as it not only attracts other pollinators, butterflies like to rest on it, for some reason.

    Your photos are lovely, too. Great area for planting gardens.

    You and I have overlapping histories, as all the places to which you refer were my haunts at one time. I love reading your posts for that reason (and others). 🙂

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    • We also have milkweed and lavendar in the garden, and we do get our butterflies one by one. 🙂 I’m glad you are going strong with yours despite the dry of LA. Keep at it, my friend.

      I hope we get the chance to talk about our pasts, presents and futures someday, Beth. I think that would be enlightening and fun.

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