My days of the week are totally mixed up! I’ve been attempting to keep the hours of a morning person–some days out of necessity–but I keep falling back into my regularly-scheduled program.
THANKFUL THURSDAY
I may have said this before, but I’m thankful for our public library. It offers a wide selection of magazines to read without paying a subscription fee, Wi-fi, use of computers for those who don’t have one, and music, movies and, oh yes, BOOKS on everything imaginable.
Now for some RANDOMNESS
1. I love Wi-fi! Our downstairs a/c is inoperable, so I’m sitting in a zero-gravity lawn chair under the oak tree with birds singing overhead. Some of them might be telling me to go back in the house where I belong, but I don’t understand bird-speak. (Or I’m feigning ignorance–shhh don’t tell!)
2. This is the first year milkweed planted the previous year returned. I’m ready for the Monarch butterflies to appear. Hopefully they’ll get here before the aphids. 
3. The Bee Balm is robust this year, also. Maybe a hard winter isn’t so bad for the garden, after all. 
4. Cutting back the Butterfly Bush in late winter, we discovered a rotted section at its base. We lost about a third of it, but the remainder is coming back strong.
5. The Coneflowers have a lot of buds.
Bonus Randomness
This is the Fennel jungle. Fennel is a host plant for Black Swallowtail butterflies. I hope we see lots of them this year.
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Linking to Thankful Thursday
you have a GREAT butterfly garden! nice!
my milkweed grows all throughout the pastures. i’ve actually seen a few monarchs last year and this. 🙂
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Thanks, Theresa. How nice to have milkweed for them without having to buy new plants all the time. We don’t usually see the Monarchs until a bit later in the season, but I hope we have some this year. Last year wasn’t a good butterfly year–I think my feathered friends ate all the caterpillars!
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I lost several plants to winter kill. A new butterfly bush is waiting for some butterfly’s though.
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Sorry to hear you lost plants. As a gardener, I don’t like having to start over again. I hope the butterflies find your new bush and bring you much enjoyment.
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I forgot to cut back our butterfly bush, so it’s huge! But, I’ve learned one thing: it doesn’t matter when you trim it, it grows right back!
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That they do! I didn’t trim ours one year, it got really big and split in the middle. Now I make sure I cut it back!
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I also am thankful for our library. It really is such a special gift. And what a beautiful garden! I hope you get those butterflies to visit!
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Thanks, mithriluna. If they come, I will do my best to photograph them.
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Your planting to attract butterflies is just wonderful! We have wild milkweed and it never occurred to me to move them. I need to check on my butterfly bush. I planted one last year. I hope it survived.
Thank you for commenting on little Lucy. So nice of you to stop in.
Judy
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Thanks, Judy. I hope your butterfly bush returns and you share it with us. Lucy is adorable!
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WiFi in the garden with a hot or cold drink depending on season is a real treat!
Cheers – Stewart M – Melbourne
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Yes, it is, Stewart!
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A lovely set of plants. Great to hear that you plant with the wildlife in mind!
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Thank you. I appreciate your follow and hope you enjoy what you find here–lots of nature and some fun playing with words and art supplies.
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Looking forward to seeing some beautiful butterfly photos.
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Thanks, Rebecca, me too!
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Your photos are absolutely beautiful! Here in Montreal the humidity has begun, and sadly, a lilac tree close to where I live … the lilacs are beginning to dry up. It was so beautiful and in full bloom just two short weeks ago. Thank you so much for sharing the beauty around you.
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Thank you. I try to add as many long-flowering plants as possible, Linda. Lilacs are beautiful, I remember my mother’s, but you’re right, they’re here and gone so quickly. I appreciate your visit.
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I’m going to have to see if any of your plants grow in dryer conditions… I would like to have more butterflies around here!
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Many are drought tolerant, once you get them established. I hope you find some and attract butterflies to share with us, Janna. If you have a local garden center, they should be able to help you with plant selection for your area.
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Nice thinking about you sitting under an oak listening to bird speak!
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