Notebook Butterflies in the garden


Above let: A red admiral butterfly sips from Clara Curtis chrysanthemum. Right: A fritillary pauses on Joe Pye weed. Butterflies are the happy ending of caterpillars. “Y


uck! There’s a caterpillar on my pars- ley! Squish!”


That’s the usual response to creepy crawl-


ies on plants, but when we learn that the green caterpillar sharing our parsley or car- rot tops is a beautiful swallowtail butterfly, it is easier to resist the urge to bring down the hand of God on these hapless creatures. Or take the larvae of the red admiral but-


terfly (Vanessa atalanta). While the pars- ley worm is pretty, being a vivid green and black, the red admiral caterpillar is blackish and spiny with, maybe just a touch of or- ange or yellow, and it is not at all attractive. Moreover, it hides out on stinging nettles


in a tent it makes from the leaves of its in- tended food. But it is a gorgeous visitor to the garden, with its red to orange bands on a black field with white markings at the wing tips. This aggressive butterfly will defend its territory vigorously once it sets up house. Another outstanding visitor is the mourn-


ing cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa). This is a fairly large butterfly with purple-black or brown-black wings featuring a bright yellow border and a row of iridescent blue spots at the border’s inner edge. It’s common name comes form its resem-


blance to the kind of coats worn by people in mourning at one time, but in England, it


Zany for zinnias


There are two major types of zinnias: the large-blossomed, tall garden varieties; and the small, low, spreading kind. Zinnia elegans is the parent of dozens of


Not only are they one of the fastest flowers to bloom from seed, they come in a spec- tacular range of colors and make perfect complements to beds, borders or bouquets. Zinnias mix a touch of the classic with a touch of the country – and they’re one of the best cut flowers around. These brilliant coloured, daisy-like flow-


W


ers are native to Mexico, Central and South America, but do well in our gardens, flow- ers beds and pots. Zinnia plants range from compact miniatures to tall, full flowers.


www.localgardener.net


hen it comes to garden flowers some say zinnias are a cut above the rest.


beautiful varieties, famous for creating lav- ish displays of colour both in the ground or in the vase. The flowers, which are actually clusters of individual florets, may be singles or doubles, cactus or dahlia type, ruffles or pompoms. All are formed around a cush- ioned center. The blooms can be as small as a coin or as big as a frisbee. They pop up in lavender, white, yellow, orange, pink, pur- ple, red, and even green. The large zinnias are the ones that attract most gardeners’ at- tention. Choices include the State Fair Red, Mix State Fair and the Dreamland Mix. Zinnia augustifolia have small, one to


two-inch blooms, usually in white, orange and yellow, with slim, lance-shaped leaves. They grow in loose mounds, reach from eight to 18 inches (20 to 45 cm) in height, and make good annual ground covers, as well as attractive additions to hanging bas- kets or containers. Varieties include Crystal Yellow, Crystal White, Profusion Cherry,


is more aptly called Camberwell Beauty. The larvae are spiny and unattractive, and


they feed on willows, American elm, cotton- woods and paper birch, laying their eggs in a band around the twigs of these trees. The butterflies like to feed on the sweet sap of the oak tree or on decaying fruit, but occasion- ally they will come to a flower for nectar. An even more common butterfly is the


pretty little orange and brown fritillary. It’s larvae feed on pansies and violets. The cat- erpillar is attractive with orange, and black stripes interrupted with spots of white and black spines. It will voraciously devour pansy blossoms and foliage in your garden. `


Profusion Orange and Profusion White. Zinnias prefer sun and fertile, well-drained


soil and can tolerate heat and dry condi- tions. As an added bonus, most varieties are weather- and disease-tolerant and put forth heavy blossoms from summer to fall. The big bloomers benefit from deadhead-


ing, weekly if possible, and the tallest may need staking for extra support. If you have room, a cutting garden set


aside just for fast-growing annuals like zin- nias are a great way to bring the outdoors inside. And, zinnias will even attract the songbirds. `


Summer 2012 • 5


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