Garden Progress

While I am busy with Fall Semester classes..the garden and its inhabitants grow daily outside my window.  I went outside after lunch to check in on everybody and see how things were going.  It was super steamy and muggy out.  I decided to throw out some dead zinnias I had cut for a vase probably three weeks ago.  I added them to the compost pile and set about to trimming the flowers.  I like to 'deadhead' to promote new growth, but I like to cut the flowers and put them in a vase to enjoy while eating dinner even more.

The Giant Swallowtail caterpillar is becoming, well, giant.  It looks like a piece of bird poop.  That is its defense mechanism.  Despite that, it will still get attacked and eaten by wasps.  This guy is in the zippered habitat on the back patio, happily and safely munching away on citrus leaves.

This Gulf Fritillary reached deep into this penta to get a drink.  I still marvel at this butterfly's beautiful patterns.  I saw a couple mating and another female laying eggs.  

A miniature dinosaur on the Cassia.  The yellow butterflies will lay eggs but they haven't landed in the yard in a few days to drink nectar.  At least, not while I am standing out there with the camera.

I can't remember all the skippers and duskywings but I have a lot of them in my garden.  I think this one is called a Horace's Duskywing.  But don't hold me to that.  I do like the contrast of the pink zinnia and how she holds her wings open though. 

This is a Long Tailed Skipper.  I also have Dorantes Long Tailed Skippers but they lack the brilliant turquoise blue back that this Long Tailed Skipper has.  I love the colors in nature!

The Polydamas Swallowtail caterpillars are getting bigger.  Do you see how many are in the photo above?  I hope the Dutchman's Pipevine plant holds out for them as long as possible!

I have been waiting all Summer to get a picture of this beauty in my yard.  I would only see one rarely.  She is here to stay, I hope.  She laid eggs on the Passionvine I planted under the Bird of Paradise, so I have brought a group of them onto the patio to raise.  Truly gorgeous patterning on the Zebra Longwings!

This interesting moth is an Acraea Moth, I believe.  I found a large, fuzzy caterpillar in the garden munching on lots of greens awhile back and I decided to raise him after running into him a few times.  I was surprised to see this white creature come out of its fuzzy cocoon..I actually have never seen a moth emerge..they don't have a chrysalis like the butterflies..I just wake up the next morning and they are there.

The veggie garden is coming along.  Something is nibbling the leaves already but I really want to stay organic so I am going to have to come up with something to spray if I want to have anything to harvest!