Butterflies hanging out
What a delightful surprise it always is to happen upon these lovely creatures, while working in the garden. The Common Checkered Skipper...
The popular, humble dandelion
Dandelion blossoms provide nectar to pollinators from spring through fall. Dandelions aren't everyone's favorite, they always bring cheer...
And the bird of the day is...
I was horrified the other day to see the brown eyed bushtits descend on the butterfly bush. The bush is growing in a large pot, and was...
Oh, those wonderful birds
It just makes me so happy to see so many creatures thriving around the garden. Our efforts to create habitat and plant food sources...
Painted Lady resting in late afternoon sun
A Painted Lady Vanessa cardui spent a good fifteen minutes resting in the late afternoon sun. The leaf of a Tiger Eye abutilon plant in...
Everyone enjoys the Delta sunflowers
Look who is eating dried Delta sunflower blossoms. This is the first time I've seen a squirrel sitting in the sunflower shrub. It looks...
Monarch chrysalis in a curious place
I read today that some monarch caterpillars will weave their silk pads and attach to the underside of stones and proceed to pupate. When...
Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee on a Blue Thimble Flower
Yellow-Faced Bumble Bees, Bombus vosnesenskii, have been constant visitors in our garden ever since early spring. I don't remember seeing...
Monarch caterpillars on their way
After a few weeks of ...now you see them, now you don't, we've observed three caterpillars eat their way into fifth instar. This number...
In the the Raggedy Ann Zinnia
Sometimes a cricket will decide to live in your garden. I was so surprised to see it, because I had never seen one before. At first I...
