Start A Butterfly Garden!

by Bonsai 150 Replies latest jw friends

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  kaik

  So, I spent a couple hours to mulch my flowerbed; I use cedar barks as I had bad experience with other types of the mulch in the past. So far, rodeos do not bloom yet, but I think they will open up their flowers in 10 days. We had near frost temperature last two days, and some leaves look burned by it, but the date-time high was close to 70F today, so I hope all will be ok. What is interesting that my bleeding hearts and pink phlox started to bloom early, while forget-me not, lily of the valley, and astilbe did not. They usually bloom in May.I planted some calla lilies, they are hit or miss, some year they will bloom, and some year I do not even know I have them in the flowerbed. I am on the northern edge of the climatic zone, and they do only well on sunny side of the house, and shield from the cold air.

  

  
  

  
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  Bonsai

  Lovely pictures Kaik! I love bleeding hearts. I tried to grow them in my garden, but the climate is just too warm and humid for them. I bought an expensive Phlox hybrid last year for the butterflies and they failed as well. I've had problems with mold every time I have used mulch. Oh well. One step back, two steps forward!
  
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  flamegrilled

  @FindtheLost

  How do you put out the grape jelly for the Orioles? They do come around, but very rarely and I would love to attract them. My concern is that we'll attract wasps, since we already have to take measures to deal with those each summer. Bees are fine of course and I'll do anything to help them. But is there a feeder that's good to feed Orioles with grape jelly without adding to our wasp problem?

  Thanks in advance,

  FG
  
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  Bonsai

  I don't know much about birds, but I hear you on the wasp problem. I go around in March/April with a tennis racket killing the queen wasps flying around in my garden. It's best to have at them before they start building nests. I encourage nectar bees, but wasps kill and roll up caterpillars so they are counterproductive in having a butterfly garden.
  

  I do know that Orioles are attracted to orange, so put the jelly on an orange plastic plate in the open so they can see it while flying overhead. Or use an orange feeder designed for Orioles. If you don't like wasps perhaps keep the jelly away from the walking path or not too close to the house would be a good idea.
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  kaik

  Bleeding hearts do not like warm, subtropical weather. I have them in the shaded part of the yard, which only receives a sun at the sunset. They go back year after year. I had also a white colored bleeding hearts, but they stopped to appear after a several growing seasons. Bleeding hearts are poisonous, but there is a myth that they have healing properties. While ago there was a woman who had serious poisoning from them because someone recommend it as a herbal remedy.
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  GrreatTeacher

  My tulips have finally bloomed. I got a yellow one yesterday and a red one today!

  My very dark purple ones that almost look black are getting ready to bloom.

  I wonder if I should cut some and put them in a vase so I can enjoy them in the house?

  As soon as the petunias are out, I'm going to buy some for my window boxes. We've done red, white and that dark purple/blue color in the past and it's really looked good after about 6 weeks of growth.

  Hmm...maybe I should mix up the colors this year, though. Maybe red, white and yellow?
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  Xanthippe

  Oh I didn't take the photo Bonsai, I just googled Brimstone butterfly. I wasn't sure if you have them. It's still coming in my garden along with Peacocks and I saw a Comma yesterday ( I didn't take this either).

  
  
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  Xanthippe

  GrreatTeacher your dark purple, almost black tulips sound very striking. You should have some in the house. Did you know the tulip is the only flower that keeps growing taller when you cut them and put them in water?
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  kaik

  My tulips already bloomed out. I have still one brand that still bloom, but the major pink, red, yellow are already gone. I cut several of them and had them on my vase. I also pinch flowers from camellia, and I put them into bowl of water and they float there for a several days. I am waiting for irises and blue bells to bloom out, they are already budded, but so far they had not opened the flowers. Next week, we should have close to 80F weather, but yesterday we had sudden low morning temperature just around 40F. My hydrangeas suffered from the sudden cold and I hope they will come back. I also have forget-me-not in full bloom, and some flowers that look like pink crocosmia. One thing I noticed this week was the amount of bees and yellow jackets had on my backyard. I am still waiting for my bumble bees. They have a nest under my shed. They chew through old wood there and they are nesting there for years, but so far, I have not seen them yet out.
  
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  Heaven

  I think we've turned the corner here in Ontario... sunny skies and warmer weather are finally here. Still gets chilly/frosty at night though.
  

  My chive is growing - no flowers yet. I imagine the frost resistant pansies will be in the stores soon. Our frost free days start on the May 24th weekend.

  I will be heading to my Dad's place this weekend - I will see if the bulbs have bloomed yet.