Many gardeners want immaculate foliage, but to us perfect foliage means there aren’t enough caterpillars munching leaves to produce the diaphanous moths and bright-colored butterflies that we want. Many folks have lost the connection between the butterflies and moths they want, and the need to grow host plants for the larvae of those same butterflies and moths.
While bees and butterflies seem to be opportunistic generalists, sipping any flower—native or not—that pumps the most sugary nectar at the moment, caterpillars are fussy eaters, with most species eating only a few kinds of plants. Here are just a few of the host plants we grow within the garden, and the caterpillars they nourish.
Monarch.Photo: Kenneth Dwain Harrelson/courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Clouded sulphur.Photo: Megan McCarty/courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Clouded sulphur
Plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) including:
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa, annual)
White clover (Trifolium repens, Zones 3–10)
Pea (Pisum sativum, annual)
American lady
Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea, Zones 3–8)
Plantain-leaved pussy toes (Antennaria plantaginifolia, Zones 3–8)
American lady.Photo: Derek Ramsey/courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Black swallowtail.Photo: Gordon E. Robertson/courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Black swallowtail
Dill (Anethum graveolens, annual)
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum, annual)
—John Gwynne is a landscape architect who splits his gardening time between New York City and Little Compton, Rhode Island.
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Bee Watering Station with Vivid Flower Design
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Thoughtful Combo: You will receive a bee feeder and 30 glass marbles. This thoughtful combo can provide clean water for the bees, you just need to put the marbles into the bee watering station, add water (note: the water level should not exceed the height of the marbles) and hang them in the right place. The round, colored marbles can provide a place for the bees to stand and prevent them from falling into the water, effectively keeping the bees safe. Fine Material: This exquisite bee bath is made of high quality iron material, smooth surface, rust and weather resistant, not easy to fade, sturdy and reliable. Bee cups for garden can well meet the drinking water needs of lovely bees, and it can also provide food for bees, such as sugar water, nectar, etc., attracting more bees to your outdoor area and making your garden full of vitality. Perfect Size: The butterfly watering station has an overall height of 13.4 inches, a bowl diameter of 9.4 inches, and a weight of 0.44 pounds. The bee cup serves the needs of the bees well without plunging them into dangerously deep water or taking up unnecessary space in your garden, and this compact and efficient design makes it a practical addition to any outdoor space. Elegant Design: Our bee watering cups are designed in unique flower shapes with vibrant and realistic colours to attract lovely bees to your garden and patio, bee feeders for outside are not only functional but can also be used as a landscaping element, their vibrant floral patterns enhance the beauty of your garden. Multicolored Decoration: Colorful bee water stations look like flowers in a garden, flower bed or pot and attract bees and butterflies. They can drink or bathe in bee feeders, which are highly decorative and practical.
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These shears have a distinctive finger rest that not only aids grip but allows greater freedom of movement than a conventional handle design. They have a durable powder-coat finish to resist rust and wear, and a simple clasp that locks the spring-action stainless-steel blades closed. The set includes one pair of round-nose shears measuring 5 1/2" overall with 1" blades for cutting stems up to 3/8" in diameter, and one pair of 6 1/2" needle-nose shears with 2" fine-tip blades for precise work.
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Maintaining a healthy relationship over an extended period of time requires https://showbox.run/ honest and open communication, compromise, and a willingness for both people to grow together.
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