I had to go back and have another look at the Beautiful Butterfies at RHS Wisley Glass house. This time the sun was shineing and so there were more butterflies to be seen.
The eye on this is amazing that is if it is a real eye.
Looking a bit bedraggled perhaps it is a dead one just placed there for our pleasure.
As you can see it is necessary to look carefully to find some of them.
Grubs up! This one's colouring blends with it's food.
So another amusing trip on a cold winter's day. Mike has had his first evening after work when he was able to get in the garden. So he was busy chopping logs up yesterday.
As to me, I have at last planted four pots of snowdrops around the small pond near the front door. This is an ideal spot to enjoy them each time we go in or out of the house. There were some snowdrops there already so it has added to the numbers. The snowdrops have been waiting a week for me to plant them. I really am a fair weather gardener.
My next task is to start planting seeds Sweet Pea, Busy Lizzie and Lobelia for starters.
February 14th now that is an important date according to Margery Fish, that is the date she cut back her clematis well the group 3 types that is.
I have tried experimenting in past years once pruning a month earlier but resulting understandably with the group 3's flowering at the same time as the early flowering clems. I have also tried staggering pruning over a few weeks which can also vary the flowering. If I were clever I could probably have a very long flowering period but with about 50 clematis plants in the garden there's usually one flowering from early Spring until the Autumn.
Beautiful butterfly shots. Have fun gardening. We'll catch up to ya soon.
ReplyDeleteI love those butterfly photos. They are so colorful. Have fun gardening.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness those pictures are just gorgeous of them so close up. There sure are some beautiful butterflies there.
ReplyDeleteThey look like such big butterflies! Wouldn't it be fun to see them that big flying around our gardens? The ones we see outside here aren't usually very big.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm ahead on the Clematis, I already cut mine back.
Don't you grow your Sweet Peas in pots? I seem to remember yours growing that way and I'd like to try mine in pots this year.
they are quite large butterfies much bigger than we get in our gardens.
ReplyDeleteCatherine you are much ahead of me in your garden. Yes I do grow sweat peas in large pots and they work quite well. The reason is I never have enough space in the garden and have some paving by the hedge which help give them some shade and something to climb up.
The black and blue combination of colors has always been my favorite in butterflies, but after seeing the black/orange combination, I may have to revise that.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne~~ I'm afraid I've become a fair weather gardener too. The butterflies are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThis is very unorthodox, I realize, but I cut all my clematis, [Several of each group] back to about six inches from the ground, directly after they're finished blooming. Fertilizer, compost topdressing and plenty of water and they'll bloom again before summer is over. When I experimented with this method, I left some of the vines just to see if they would bloom again. None of them did. This method might not be to everyone's liking but it works for me.
isn't it wonderful, the colorations that form 'eyes' to scare away predators? We have Buckeye butterflies here that have those beautiful circles.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, the butterflies you have capture are beautiful. It has inspire me not to give up but try again and again to get some butterflies pictures. So, I'll be going out to my garden soon to do my 'investigation'. :)
ReplyDeleteA truly butterfly paradise... I'd love to have that many butterflies come visit my garden; what a treat that would be!....
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend Joanne!
cielo
Fabulous photo's, I had forgotten about the butterflies in Wisley, glad you reminded me, although I expect they will be gone soon.
ReplyDelete50 Clematis plants ? thats an amazing number of plants to prune. I bet thay look stunning in flower.
Amazing pictures! The first black butterfly almost looks like a bat hanging there.
ReplyDeleteI never use to notice butterflies at all but the past year I have become enthralled with them. Their colors and patterns are just incredible to me. I always think of that scripture that talks about God clothing the birds. I think He also clothed the butterflies creatures in beautiful garments as well!
ReplyDeleteI loved your photos and I am glad you were able to accomplish your trip!~
Sounds like a fun visit, Joanne...thanks for sharing your photos, they are lovely. I'm glad I chose this day to stop by because I love butterflies. We have a couple of places around here where I can go to see them inside botanical gardens, so I'm thinking about doing that soon;-) Take care! Jan
ReplyDeleteHAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
ReplyDeleteJoanne, Happy Valentine's Day!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Butterflies... and some blend so well with the surroundings and understand perfectly the game of camouflage. ~bangchik
ReplyDeleteI felt much warmer looking at your butterflies. Thank you for the day trip. Been wondering how you're feeling.~~Dee
ReplyDelete