This weekend my mom and I sat on my front porch swing watching the busy butterflies flying from plant to plant in the butterfly garden.  There are not too many butterflies right now but I still enjoy watching the ones that visit and flutter around.

My lantanas are in full bloom.  I have two Mozelle and two Miss Huff.  I also have a peach variety as well.  I have new gold lantana around my mailbox.  My red riding hood summer phlox is in full bloom and is gorgeous.  It seems to be a real show off.  The butterfly bush is a new-be in the garden and is blooming well.  The liatris spikes are up but no blooms yet and the purple coneflower has not started blooming yet either.  The tropical milkweed has only had a few visitors mostly bees but no butterflies that I have seen.

I saw some anise and black swallow tail larva several weeks ago on a few of my host plants: bronze fennel and dill.  I haven’t seen any trace of them since then.  I hope the wasps or birds haven’t gotten them.

I have also put out a butterfly bath this year.  I filled it with sand, added a few rocks, a ceramic lily pad and water.  I haven’t seen any butterflies do any mudpuddling yet but I hope to sometime this summer.  I also put rotted fruit in the ceramic lily pad when I have some available.  I mostly put out bananas but haven’t seen the butterflies feed off of it.  Mostly just flies and ants.   Does anyone have any suggestions on this or am I just being inpatient.

I am so excited to see what going to happen this summer.  I hope I get a lot of butterfly activity.

I will try to post pictures soon.