A Butterfly Day

[callmemadam]

It's a well known fact that two bad summers in a row have meant that there are far fewer butterflies about. Today the sun is out at last and so are the butterflies. They are incredibly difficult to photograph, unless they settle on your washing, as sometimes happens. No sooner do you think, 'Ooh, lots of butterflies, get out the camera', than they flutter away. Here's a couple, anyway.



I really dislike Buddlejas (yes, that is the correct spelling) but there's no denying that they are the best butterfly plants going. Phlox are not so well known as nectar sources but today they were the only other plants in the garden to attract the butterflies.



When I was a child, I was given a large plastic model of a Peacock butterfly. It had a suction pad on the back and I stuck it to my book shelf. Can you still get them, I wonder?

Comments

[lethe1]

Aw. I love those beautiful, purple plumes.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I don't like their ungainly habit and dull foliage. Plus, they need cutting down every spring and as they grow about ten feet in a season that's a lot of wood to get rid of. The one in the garden is just a self-sown weed from somewhere else. There's one I do like: Buddleja alternifolia

[geraniumcat.livejournal.com]

I was going to post a picture of my buddleja alternifolia for you, but it's very much past its best, I'm sad to see(it was lovely a week or so ago). Have to wait for next year.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That would have been nice! Perhaps I'll plant one in my new garden when I move.