Black Swallowtail Butterfly

This is the second year in a row I have grown dill and with the dill come the Black Swallowtail Larvae.
This is one of their primary sources of food.
I actually watch them grow by the minute with how much and fast they eat.
When touched they emit a foul odor and orange antennae stick out of their heads.

They do some damage but I leave them alone.

 They eventually morph into this butterfly.
"What a wonder of nature"

Feeding on my Ligularia in Connecticut 

Transplanting seedlings

You can see these guys need a bigger home.

 These seedlings are Butterfly Weed

Here are fool proof instructions when your transplanting immature perennial plants.

 I popped seedlings out of tray cells by pushing from underneath each specific cell.

I will also cut around cell with utility scissors to free up root system if plant is being stubborn with wanting to come out.

You can see what a healthy root ball for a seedling should look like.

 I just basically use a simple method to get the new plant in a bigger pot.
this method is to fill in bottom of new pot with soil then place root ball in center of new pot.
I fill in around edges with potting soil then water well.
I place them in a greenhouse for a week or so to nurse them back in case of the seedlings going into shock.

Morning glory seeds-2nd generation

My morning glory just produced its first seed pod.

I planted them today July 18th

Lets see what happens with how fast I can produce another lot of seeds. 

Just planted 4 seeds from a Grandpa Ott variety
seen below from this year already

Just planted about 75 seeds from this batch at my brother's yard in soil along trellis.
Pictures to follow in Late Summer/Fall.

Chives and scallons

Decided to buy seeds for chives and scallions after a lady at a certain garden center said it was too late in the season to grow them.

Guess she didn't know who she was speaking with.

Like I am going to listen to her

Whats this in below Photos?

Germination after 1 week

 Chives

These below are Scallions

Close Ups

Viburnum 'Shasta' in above picture

Hydrangea Lace Cap Above

and

Goose neck Loostrife below

Heavenly Blue mornings glories

This is just a lamb's ear to the left with a perennial cactus flower in lower right

Garden Buddies

In my Garden in Bozrah, Ct, I have a bunch non living additions to my garden.
Family and Friends leave certain small statues or figurines mysteriously as sort of a tradition.

 
Here are some living creatures I found.

Luna moth

Willie the "door opening, lazy dog" 

My Zinnia Varieties

Here are some close up snap shots of some zinnias I started from seed and are in full bloom.

I still have more almost ready to open so I will post more pictures in the future.

New pictures from weekend of July 14th