By Staff
Last Thursday, July 28, was a particularly beautiful day to be out in the garden.
There was a slight, sweetly-scented breeze that was tickling through the pines.
The sky was a robin's egg blue with, at that moment, not a cloud in the sky.
I stood and marveled at God's handiwork.
I noticed a movement out of the corner of my left eye.
It was a baby hummingbird.
It couldn't have been more than three inches long, from the tip of its tiny beak to the end of its tail.
I stood not wanting to breathe or blink for fear it would fly away.
It (I say it because I couldn't tell at that moment if it was male or female, it was too young to tell) sat on the clothesline a mere two feet from me.
I noticed it had wet, dark eyes that, as it was checking me out, blinked now and then.
It was so precious I wanted to reach out and hold it in my hands, but I didn't and probably could not have.
I just wanted to stand here and admire this exquisite creature.
But as we both sat and stood looking at each other, a female hummingbird flew over us doing that chirping, peeping noise that they make.
And then the baby followed clumsily after her.
But that was not the end of my nature adventures that day.
This year my gardens are full of butterflies.
I left a couple of milkweeds in my garden this year and I was paid back for doing so.
I noticed a Monarch butterfly fluttering from leaf to leaf, and it would stop and land on the flower clusters and get a bite to eat.
I haven't seen a Monarch for quite some time now, anywhere.
But here was one on that milkweed I left growing, hoping to possibly attract one sometime.
Over by the monarda (bee balm) I noticed a lot of activity. Hmm, let's check out what's happening over there.
Well, here we have four or five hummingbird moths (some call them sphinx or hawk moths).
Some were yellow, some where rust-colored.
They were busy buzzing from each floweret on the bee balm.
What a tedious way to get something to eat.
I really enjoy watching them. I'm constantly amazed by nature. What beauty!
Also, about the bee balm were large, perfect butterflies (not a smudge on the wings, no tears to be seen, nor any pieces missing). Several huge Eastern black swallowtails (the caterpillars like parsley, some gardeners call them "parsley worms" and detest them; they also like milkweeds (asclepias spp.), butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa), butterfly (buddleia davidii), asters (aster spp.), sedum (sedum spp.) and zinnias.
Also, I see a couple huge yellow tiger swallowtails. What exquisite creatures they are. They like blazing stars (liatris spp.) and oregano (origamun vulgaris), zinnias, purple coneflowers (echniacea purpurea) and a few others the same as the Eastern black swallowtails.
Lots of insects to marvel and look at in the garden. I also found that day a large female praying mantis resting on one side of a hot, Hungarian yellow wax pepper.
It was rubbing the sides of its head with its long, serrated arm, much like a cat cleaning its face. I watched as it spent a lot of time just sitting very still, waiting. I haven't seen a praying mantis in a long time (something I haven't seen since I was a young girl is a walking stick - oh, to find one in my garden).
To attract lots of creatures to your garden plant lots of red bee balm (monarda).
Choose from these: Jacob Cline or Gardenview Scarlet and Marshall's Delight.
I guarantee your garden will be alive with all the buzzing, fluttering, flitting and that beeping, squeaking noise those stunning hummingbirds make.
O, what delights to us the garden ground doth bring?
Seed, leaf, flower, fruit, herb, bee and tree, and more than I may sing.