This is the butterfly bush...

... that we planted last year... Summer has FINALLY arrived here in New England so I got to spend some time out in the yard today... There was no rain in sight and we actually had warm summer temps - a rare day, indeed!


I love the color of it... Sometimes it looks purple, and other times true blue, depending on the time of day and how much sun or shade it is in.


True to its name, it attracts butterflies...


...although in this photo a (honey?) bee is enjoying its nectar.

My vintage garden Mary watches over the butterfly bush, just as she does the rest of the garden with its many little creatures and insects who visit us.

Butterfly bushes require a lot of sunlight. We have many tall trees in our backyard, and therefore a lot of shade...

... so I wasn't sure how it would perform this summer.

But it seems to have adapted nicely...

...and is rewarding us by attracting some lovely butterflies...

This beautiful swallowtail visited this morning and spent quite a bit of time going from blossom to blossom...

You can see how the flowers look purple in the morning sun.

The swallowtail that was here this morning was quite large and its wings and tail were completely intact...

....unlike this poor fellow who showed up this afternoon missing the ends of his tail, and with his wings a bit worse for the wear...

But that didn't stop him from enjoying the nectar!

And you can see how the blossoms look very blue in the late afternoon light...

We also planted a second butterfly bush - a white one - in the backyard last summer. It's in a shadier spot than the blue one, so it hasn't even bloomed yet. Once it does, I'll be sure to take photos. We may try to relocate it to a sunnier spot this fall so that next summer it will bloom earlier.

Hoping you are all enjoying beautiful summer weather wherever you are!

COMMENT UPDATE: Hi Betty! I got my birdhouse in the summer of 2008 from The Christmas Tree Shop, a chain of stores here in the Northeast. I did not see any this summer, however... If you do a search on-line, there are lots of great birdhouses available so I bet you'll be able to find just what you're looking for!

Donna

The birds and the bees (and butterflies & Chips)

My hummingbirds have finally returned! I have no idea where they were for a few weeks, but the male and female have been all over the yard lately, at the feeders (here's the female last night) and at the flowers. And they're very territorial (just like the Chips!), so they chase each other all around the yard, going so fast that it's hard to follow them with your eyes!


I finally got my foxgloves planted and they have been a HUGE hit with the giant bumblebees! If you look closely, you'll see one of them in the center flower. They land on the end and then walk all the way inside to the back in order to collect the pollen/nectar. They are fascinating to watch!


I'm afraid I don't know much about butterflies but I snapped this beautiful yellow (swallowtail?)on the lantana hanging pot at the front of my patio yesterday.


And last - but definitely not least - I give you Chip.. Foxy Loxy has always wanted a "coonskin" cap (just like the ones Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone wore)... But since I don't allow any hunting in my backyard, I guess he's going to have to settle for a live "munkskin" cap instead!


Chip(s) love to climb on top of Foxy Loxy's head to eat their peanuts... By the way, these are two different Chips. Their coloring is slightly different and the top Chip has a long, narrow tail whereas the bottom Chip has a shorter, fuller tail. I'm getting to be an expert at telling all my Chips apart. And their numbers are growing. I think we have about ten now. Word must have gotten out about the endless supply of peanuts!

Donna