Just as Lovely

  The purple mist plants (wild ageratum) have, once again, taken over the flower gardens.  What was once filled with daylilies, zinnias, petunias and nasturtiums is now a sea of purple.  Well, purple and orange, if you wish to be technical.  (I was informed of that by Son..his words.)  Anyway, the ageratum blooms are thick in spite of the drought and those blooms have attracted the loveliest abundance of orange butterflies!

  For years, the blooms would draw many, many monarch butterflies and I so enjoyed those but, lately, the orangeness has been brought by fritillary butterflies.  These come in huge swarms to flit about the purple mist and I am equally happy with them.  To my way of thinking these are just as lovely as the monarchs...much the same as the ageratums are just as lovely as any exquisite orchid.  I guess it is all in the way you look at things and how much you can appreciate what is set before you.  It is a grand feeling to get to the point that you can find satisfaction in the simple things of life.

Why I Like A Weedy Garden!

  During the spring, I pretty much keep the garden weed-free. I get a bit overzealous and want everything neat and tidy.  Nary a weed grows in the tomatoes...for a while, at least.  Then I get a bit lackadaisical and pretty soon, hunting for tomatoes is exciting!  It is like a hiking through a rain forest with plants towering overhead, vines wrapping around the ankles and...well, you get the idea.  It is pretty bad. Then about midsummer, I do away with most everything and start over again.  The gardens are cleared and it looks nice for a bit.

  Fall, however, sees a whole new bunch of weeds popping up everywhere.  Goldenrod shoots up six feet high, Ageratum mound over in thick clumps, Blackeyed Susan Daisies sway with the breeze and Oxeye Daisies fill in wherever there is space.  The garden never looks prettier than with all of these wildflowers that others call weeds.  At least, I think it is pretty.  Where others see weeds, I see...butterfly magnets!

  Right now, the Monarch Butterflies are starting their migration through the area.  They need a place to stop for a few moments to gather nourishment to continue their flight.  My weedy garden offers a variety of delectable treats for the butterflies, moths, honeybees, bumblebees and any other pollen seeking critters.  The beauty is not only in the blossoms but what is attracted.  Yep, I love my weedy garden!