Beth's Patch ~ Snowberry Clearwing

Snowberry Clearwing Moth aka Hummingbird Moth

Lots of Hummingbird Moths in the garden this year

Beth's Patch ~ American Lady Butterflies

I love that we have many host plant foods planted in the yard for the butterflies that come through.  This year has been a banner years for the American Lady butterfly whose host plant is pussytoes.  It spreads throughout the yard willy-nilly but isn't a pain and we leave it in where it comes up.  I did pot up about 5 different containers of it for friends to add to their yards.  This first pot has about 5 caterpillars on the plant.

Here you see another caterpillar and 2 chrysalis on the pussytoes.

Close up of American Lady butterfly chrysalis.

This American lady butterfly just emerged from it's chrysalis which is seen in the picture to the left.

Beth's Patch ~ Crocosmia Plant ~ Lucifer

A few years back, Jenny bought some bulbs that are the Crocosmia Plant ~ Lucifer.  The are supposed to be attracting in the hummingbirds but I haven't seen any at the plants yet.  I do like them and they add early summer interest to our gardens.  On the plus side the bulbs multiple fairly fast so we'll have some to move around next year.

Quilting ~ 2 Fabric Bargello

CAMACO Quilters has an open sew the third and fourth Wednesday's of every month.  Two of the members volunteered to help those interested in making this pattern.  It is called 2 fabric bargello and can be found on the internet or in your local quilt shops.  We had a great time and everyone's tops are so different due to fabric choices.  It uses an ombre and a focus fabric.  My top is ready to be straightened and borders added to it before quilting it.  When you are finished your tops you realize that they can be hung in either direction with the red or blue at the top.  I like the red at the top better.

Beth's Patch ~ Milkweed & Pollinators

Tiny first instar Monarch caterpillar on Grape Milkweed which is the Monarch's host plant.

Grape Milkweed

Orange Butterfly Weed

Yellow Butterfly Weed

Pollinators on orange Butterfly Weed

Monarch Butterfly on Swamp Milkweed

Beth's Patch ~ Gardens

Beth's Patch ~ Caterpillars

Spicebush Swallowtail egg found today.

Spicebush Swallowtail nest found today.

Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar hiding in the nest.

Question Mark Eggs

Stacked Question Mark eggs ready to hatch

Question Mark caterpillar

Beth's Patch ~ FOY American Snout

First of Year American Snout Butterfly

Fabric Postcard Swap ~ Paint and Stitch

The theme of the current postcard swap is paint and stitch which I loved.  I painted cloth about 10 years ago using Setacolor paints.  This is paint used on cloth and left to sit in the sun which; if you add kosher salt it causes neat patterns on the cloth.  I had the cloth in my stash, pulled it out and made 9 postcards.

Cloth painted with red and yellow Setacololr paints ~ 2009

3 of my 9 postcards.  All are similar in design.

Received from Jeanette

Received from Norma

Beth's Patch ~ FOY Silver-spotted Skipper

First of Year Silver-spotted Skipper in the yard yesterday.

Beth's Patch ~ Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing after some crab apples.  Don't think they can't be ripe yet!

Beth's Patch ~ Question Mark Butterflies

Question Mark butterflies love to nectar on rotten fruit

This year for the first time they nectared on an orange that's been left out for the Gray Catbird who uses it to feed his new brood of babies.