All is Right in the World

Posted: April 22, 2024 | Author: automatic gardener | Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Amaryllis, Automatic Gardening, Caterpillar, Gulf Coast gardening, Hummingbird, Southern Gardening, Subtropical Gardening | 18 Comments

At last, the garden beds are full and bursting with color.

Many of these flowers would have been blooming earlier but were knocked back by freezing weather.

Thankfully, the Amaryrillias bulb did not turn to mush and it put on a beautiful display. A second stem with buds is coming up.

A variety of caterpillars have hatched.

And the hummingbirds have come back. All is right in my backyard world.

Hungry Caterpillars

Posted: May 28, 2021 | Author: automatic gardener | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Caterpillar, Eric Carle, Southern Gardening | 15 Comments

I have been holding on to these photos and now seemed like a good time to post them. Every time I see a hungry caterpillar, I think of the picture book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”.

Thank you Eric Carle, for bringing delight to so many.

If You Plant It, They Will Come

Posted: August 30, 2020 | Author: automatic gardener | Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Aristolochia fimbriata, Automatic Gardening, butterflies, Caterpillar, Dutchman's Pipe, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Gulf Fritillary Butterfly, nature photography, Passiflora lutea, Passion Flower, Pipe-vine caterpillars, Pipe-vine Swallowtail, Southern Gardening, Subtropical Gardening, Year-round gardening, Yellow Passion-Flower | 21 Comments

I mentioned on a previous post, that I was trying to grow the correct Passion Flower to attract the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly. I finally got it right. Several have arrived.

The Butterflies got to work and laid eggs which have already hatched into a new generation.

Even more exciting, I found five Pipe-vine Swallow Tail caterpillars on my Aristolochia fimbriata.

The nurseryman was correct with his advice that the butterflies would come. The plant is nearly gone, but that was the plan. I collected some of the seeds for next year’s plants and butterflies.

Bees, Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Posted: December 28, 2016 | Author: automatic gardener | Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Backyard Critters, bees, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, butterflies, Caterpillar, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Hummingbird, My Kitchen Window, nature photography, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, Year-round gardening | 13 Comments

Our record breaking Christmas heatwave has encouraged flora and fauna to emerge from their winter rests. The bees are finishing off a feeder a day.

Butterflies are feasting on the last of the summer flowers.

Caterpillar eggs are hatching and thankfully the Passion Flower has replenished its leaves for the babies.

Azaleas that are supposed to bloom in March are beginning to open. A Gardenia has also popped out.

The Buff-bellied hummingbird is still hanging out in the yard, but is now also using the feeder as the flowers dwindle. The weather forecast is showing temperatures dropping down to our normal “warm” winter weather with no freezes for awhile.

My post Christmas plans are to clean out some beds and plant winter annuals while the weather is nice.

Operation: Save the Monarch Caterpillars

Posted: January 7, 2015 | Author: automatic gardener | Filed under: Gardening | Tags: asclepias Tuberrosa, Automatic Gardening, butterfly weed, Caterpillar, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Monarch Butterfly, nature photography, Year-round gardening | 3 Comments

Surprised again by finding Monarch Caterpillars on the Butterfly Weed.

A female must have passed by and left her eggs.

There is going to be a cold snap here, not as bad as up north, but none the less cold for the Gulf Coast with temperatures dropping to the 20’s. I dug up some young Butterfly Weed plants and collected the Caterpillars still hanging on some large leaves. They rolled up and dropped after being moved.

Soon the young Caterpillars recovered and climbed up the plants. They should only have to spend a day or two inside.

Left Behind

Posted: November 24, 2014 | Author: automatic gardener | Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Caterpillar, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Monarch Butterfly, Year-round gardening | 1 Comment

The two Monarch Butterflies that had been fluttering around the garden left a little something behind before they headed south. This poor baby may not be able to complete its journey, although it made it through the freezing temperatures. We will keep our fingers crossed for the little caterpillar.