Are you speaking about Sulphurs more than others? Even though they aren't mentioned as a host or nectar plant, the sulphurs love my pepper plant to hang on and rest on.
Sulphurs have been more numerous the last couple of weeks as well.

I am finally seeing and collecting Spicebush eggs now. They were my last species to come this year. I have tons of Gulf Frits, Polys, Eastern Black eggs, and now Zebra Longwings. It has been a very strange year as far as when the species returned but a good year in the numbers once they were here.

I know little about butterfly. But I have notice that this year I have seen more of them then previous years. This afternoon I was weeding and notice butterflies all over.
could it be that I'm becoming a butterfly gardener?
Felix

Thats how it starts, then you find yourself researching what kinds you have in your yard and what they are nectaring or laying eggs on, then you run out to hunt for the plants and oh by the way....it acutally starts with posting a comment about butterfly gardening!! Ha Ha you are hooked!

Gosh, Ill...I want some peas now! I do know that my butterfly pea vine draws lots of visitors, but my scarlet runner beans were a big failure. I'll have to try the cowpeas, etc.

I have had far fewer butterflies this year than any other that we've been here, though. I'm not sure why. I've been blaming it on the long drought. I know a lot of you have been getting rain for some weeks now, but at my house, we still have only had a few showers here and there. As of yet, we have not had a single "rainy day" of the type where it rains off and on all day long. My garden has suffered as a result, and I guess that's why my overall butterfly count has been down.

I WOULD like to try some peas, though. That might help. But I'm not planting anything new right now. I'm too far behind on weeding and cleaning up. Hopefully the weather is beginning to cool down a slight bit. (91 today instead of 98) So maybe I'll get back out there soon.

Ill, did you see my reply to your plant ID questions for Nicki and I?

Marcia

The other thing that is so plentiful in my gardens besides the butterflies this year is the incredible amount of dragon and damsel flies all over the place. I love it. I remember after the horrid "H" seasons we have had recently, their populations really declined. Now the lil critters are about in large numbers. My swappers brought me some wonderful new-to-me butterfly plants that I know will enhance their populations. The sulphers are really plentiful this year, too in my yard. They are all over my candlestick cassia. I am slowly getting there. One of the things I want to add to my yard is more outdoor sitting areas where the can watch all the flutterings and perhaps fine tune my photographing skills. Oh yes, where can I buy that "patience" stuff you need for capturing wildlife kodak moments?? lol

Oh Ill, please don't shut up! I love to know about anything that will bring more butterflies to my garden. This year has been very sad, as there aren't many for me. It is so dry here, and I think that's the problem. I have seen just recently a few dragon flies. It has rained a few miles in either direction, but not at my house and we are still on water restrictions.
I have never grown peas, we are not a big fan of them, but I would grow them for the butterflies. ;o)

Katkin, apparently you and I are suffering the same conditions. I had ten times the butterflies last year that I have this year. And this past week was the first time I saw a dragonfly (ONE) all summer long!

If you can grow the scarlet runner beans (mine shriveled up) you could get butterflies with those AND a beautiful vine with red, pink or white flowers. I really wanted them to be happy in my yard, but they weren't. I may try them again, after I improve my beds some more. Or maybe they are just happier farther north?

Ill, do the peas you mentioned have flowers of note?

Marcia

Illm,if you are coming to Kate's swap can you bring some seeds with you? I grow the blue pea vine which is gorgeous but I don't think I have even seen any butterflies on it which is strange. Have had tons of butterflies this year, definitely a good crop and like the rest of you I am hoping for even more next year:)

Pat

Marcia and Katkin, when the guys mow here, the dragonflies follow them around in clouds snatching up gnats and other insects. Kinda envision pigpen from the Peanuts gang. lol

Used to be that way here, too, Cindee, but not this year.

Would sure love to have my butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies back again. The only thing I've had in abundance this year is sweat bees & small wasps. I have only spotted 2 honeybees, and even the bumblebees have been few and far between.

Marcia

mboston -- yeah, the sulfurs live for the legumes, but i notice other butterflies (particularly swallowtails of all sorts) just hanging out, sipping the blooms on the southern peas, too. i think it's that they provide just the right amount of cover, green, and bloom. (for those who haven't grown them -- they are a sprawling, twining ground cover, broad leafed.

katkin -- i'll bring a BUNCH of peas to the orlando swap. a handful of peas will produce way more peas than you can eat, and enough seeds for the next year's planting... it's a productive plant. they're the only veg other than okra that i had luck planting after july.

i know a lot of people don't eat cowpeas (i didn't and i grew up south of the mason-dixon line by 150 miles!). but i've developed a real passion for them since moving here. i think most people just don't cook 'em right...

marcia -- i got your ids, and you were totally right re the agastache. smells like licorice. pretty plant. nicki gave me tutti-fruti, too, which smelled just amazing, but none of them rooted. and about the cowpea blooms: the ones i'm growing have a classic pea-bloom, white with a lavender blush, opposite pairs on a relatively tall stolon... and they are always blooming.

it's been dry here, too -- but last week we had three rainstorms that produced 2.75 inches of rain. and july was incredibly rainy... so, tho we're below average, we're doing ok for rain lately.

Thanks for the info, Ill. I'll be looking for some cowpea seeds and that red thingie that I've already forgotten the name of. And I'll definitely have a donkey's ears for you.

Your July was rainy, eh? I don't think we got one single drop the entire month of July. I could see it raining to the northwest (probably at YOUR house) but nothing hit here until the first week in August. And then very little. I think it only rained maybe 4 times in August! We had one fairly heavy shower about a week ago that lasted about an hour, and that's the most rain I've seen in my yard since last spring! Arrrgggghhh.

Marcia

Ill, thanks, I'll try the cow peas. How do you cook them? I'm a Jersey Girl. LOL And you let them grow on the ground?I grow snow peas, but up a fence. But they are a fast stir fry with chicken and ginger. ;o)

Hey guys, do you leave shallow dishes of water for the fly-babies. I do and that seems to keep them around when there's dry times. Even just misting some plants will give them a place to drink. I have a couple shallow water holders. My bubbler fountain has flat stones for them to perch on. I just got this frog with his mouth open and a shallow spot in the center. They can perch on the edge to get a drink that way. Just curious if any of you water your fliers as well as provide them host and nectar plants.

I have several dishes about the garden for water for them, even one hanging in a tree. :o)

katkin -- they grow like bushes (and if you give them something to climb, they will). the beans grow on stolons (long stems) that the plant holds up, out of the leaves, making picking really easy...

i'm going to work on a blog entry about cowpeas when i have a chance. i've been assembling recipes &c. i'll let you know when i've posted it.

I was under the impression butterflies cannot drink water out of a dish. From what I have read they drink from moist sand. I have seen them "puddling" as it is called. Maybe some moist sand in a dish would be better. Here is a site that gives some suggested additions to supply minerals to their puddles.
Kat

Here is a link that might be useful: puddling ideas

Kat, they will perch on edges and flat stones near shallow water. I have seen it! Did you see that froggy near my steps with the open mouth? There was a sulpher on it's lip this morning sipping. Or maybe he was just resting. I have also had moths and butterfly sit on the flat stones in my bubbler fountain under the pergola as well as seeing them at the edges of puddling ground areas after rain.

They will drink from SHALLOW water, and from dewdrops on leaves, etc. They also puddle, Kat, and I THINK (but I COULD be making this up!!) that it depends on the species as to which way they prefer to drink. I'll have to research that. But if you have flat rocks in a birdbath, some will stand on those and appear to sip from the adjacent water. I keep both stones in my birdbaths and a shallow dish with wet sand in it for the puddlers. I've yet to see any puddling in my garden, but I've seen them do it along creek banks many times.

Marcia

I keep sand in the hanging dish in the tree for the type that like that way of drinking. And the other dishes are shollow, but I have never seen any drink from either. ;o(

I don't think all species are interested, Katkin. Just like not all butterflies want to nectar from plants. Some would rather drink from animal droppings...cow patties, in particular. Eeek. That's one reason you don't see as many red admirals in gardens as you do monarchs, for instance. They prefer to sip from fresh sap flows, fermented fruits and fresh cow dung! But they are also one of the ones that will sip from wet sand.

I still like to keep a source of water for them, even if I don't see them drink from it very often. If they want it, it's there. If they don't, nothing lost.

Marcia