Powell Gardens

The Pipevine Swallowtail greeted us when we went to
Powell Gardens.
They seem to be more prolific this year.

We planned to spend the day.
I had a list of plants I wanted to see and I wanted to
talk with the gardeners about growing fig trees.

I waited until their summer display of Fairy Houses

and Forts were installed.

I love the little houses made from gourds

and found garden items.

The Forts were interesting.

I am so inspired!

These garden Fairies are very busy folks.

What I love about this troop of Fairies

is they are never too busy to answer questions.

I always have lots of questions.

The Orchids in the conservatory are gorgeous.
I just might need to replace mine.

There are birds and critters in the gardens.
Always happy to see a snake.

We are bug hunters.
Seeing Great Spangled Fritillaries in the day lilies
made me gasp with delight.

Flowers always look naked without their bugs!

It has been years since I have seen the Eastern Amberwing.
These are small dragonflies that mimic wasp behavior.

We also saw a few Zebra Swallowtails.
I am keeping field notes this year.
We saw Zebra Swallowtails and Great Spangled Fritillaries
last Sunday. They must be emerging.

We stopped for lunch and I saw a kite sculpture with a tag.
I knew it would be perfect in my gardens.

It is too!

I have my Field Guide to Insects on my desk.
This metallic green beetle should be easy to identify.
Yet with over 24,000 species of beetles
 in North America it could take me awhile.

Butterflies

It was mostly cloudy today.
The gardens were too wet to work .
When I saw the female Tiger Swallowtail
 in the Chinese Lilac I knew I would be
 spending my day with the butterflies.

A Pipevine Swallowtail entertained me for an hour.

I love her hearts on her upper underwings.

It was very windy so I cut a blossom
and put it in a bowl of water on the deck.

A Painted Lady came down out of the wind.

In came another similar Lady.
She had different eye spots.
I looked in my field guide.
New to my backyard, The American Lady!

This is my first sighting of the Eastern Comma.

I refilled the seed feeders and the jelly bowls.
I am happy the female Orioles have found the treats.

Sitting with butterflies and watching poppies bloom
is a perfect way to spend a cloudy, windy Wednesday.

Dragonflies, butterflies and birds

I left some chamomile for the butterflies.
The Checkered White is new to my backyard.

The Dainty Sulphurs are also new this year.
Usually I harvest all the chamomile but
I have plenty drying this year for my winter tea.

Harris Sparrow is keeping the bugs out of the lettuces.

Mocking Bird has figured out the grapes.
 He just stabs them with his beak.

It was too hot for me to be outside this afternoon.
It is too hot for April.

I read my book. I dreamed of embroidery.
 I am smitten with the dragons and the damsels.

My daughter helped me design a piece of fabric
using one of my damselfly photographs.

It is pretty but the yellow is too bright for curtains.
I will try again.

My friend sent me a book of postcards.
These are butterfly prints representing the
 work of Edward Donovan (1768-1837).
His exquisite watercolor paintings take me to far away places.

I am smitten with the dragonflies.
I am smitten with the birds,
yet I dance with the butterflies.
My friend knows me so very well.

Bards

It is the anniversary of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.

"Listen my children and you will hear
of the midnight ride of Paul Revere."
http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html
It is my poem today.
The American Revolution began on April 18, 1775, and ended 8 years later on April 18, 1783.

The Dutchman's Pipevine is blooming.

It is the host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail.

I love seeing holes in the leaves!

The Wild Ginger is in bloom.
The blooms lay on the ground making pollination
by ground crawlers easy to do.

Wild Columbine is in bloom.
I enjoy the native flowers.

The Painted Daisies are in bud.
They are for my pleasure.
I cut them for my table.

The Kale continues to feed the bees and
 provides leaves for our salads and stir fries.

History told by the bards and gardens for the bees, butterflies
and the gardeners.
Life is sweet.

Tending the gardens

The temperatures are lovely. High today was 59 degrees.
I was outside tending the flowers beds. I wore a sweater
while working in the sun. This is how April should be.

We made carrot cake cupcakes.
Wonderful for breakfast.

My inner artist is having fun!