Got Milk(weed)?

For the first time in 2 years, the milkweed have managed to flower this year.  (Between deer and drought they've had a rough time.)

Yesterday I saw 2 monarchs hovering around the sweetly-scented blooms and was also delighted to notice that there were bees too.  (Bees of any kind have been very scarce this year.  I've not even seen any of the destructive carpenter bees - yet.)

Anyway, I wish you could smell these blooms.  Like honey.

While the bees and butterflies were busy, yours truly has been just as busy. 

Check out the Veg Page, Garden Projects Page and the Flowers Page. (Sidebar links)  Yep, I'm obviously feeling much better this year and the gardens are getting way more attention these days.

Need ACCESS?  <== click link

Black death? or just rainy weather....

After 5 cold and rainy days, the sun is peeking through.  A quick walkabout led me to discover this oddly colored monarch chrysalis hanging from a leaf of re-blooming lavender agastache.  Some Google research suggested that this chrysalis may be infected with Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus ("Black Death").  Other info was more hopeful, that the coloration may be due to the recent soggy weather.

Either way, this is the very first monarch chrysalis I've seen in the gardens - ever.  I'm surprised I've not seen more because this season the gardens were positively swarming with monarch.  And tiger swallowtails.  And Eastern black swallowtails.  And skippers.  And.... you name it.  I've never seen so many butterflies in one place outside of an enclosure!

Let's keep our fingers crossed for this little one.  It's supposed to be sunny and warm for the next 6-7 days. I'll keep checking on this and let you know.

I found some other interesting sights during my walkabout.

Click on this bee pic for the rest of the story....