Determination

The last few days I have been watering newly planted milkweed, as the heat is extreme,  and the rain has not been falling as often. The best time to do this is about an hour before the sun goes down.

It appears this is the best time to stroll through the garden, as the last few days there have been monarchs feasting on nectar. Tonight’s dinner, the nectar of a Mexican sunflower.

I loved watching this monarch’s determination of extending its proboscis, finding the opening of the flower, and sipping the nectar.

The best things happen when you slow down enough to witness nature at its finest.

A must have

One of the things I enjoy about gardening is the trial-and-error aspect of it all. Plant something here, plant something there. Plant this variety, or that. Some thrive, some shrivel up and die. Some give off lots of seeds, while others spread voluntarily. A garden becomes a work of art, as you continue to fill in the spaces and make it a butterfly wonderland.

Recently the plant of success has been the zinnia. This plant is incredibly easy to grow from seed and does not take too long to mature. It’s one that keeps giving, as well. The best part is it is doing well without our daily Florida rain, in the heat, nonetheless. I have found that they do best in the ground, though, and not so well in pots.

By far the best addition to the garden, the ever stunning, visited often, zinnia.

Busy garden

The garden has been busy all day long with monarch butterflies stopping in for a bite to eat, and a pair circling around the garden doing its mating dance.

The monarch below came back multiple times after the chase stopped, each time putting its proboscis deeper into the flower, and legs providing stability when the wind blew.