Glancing through my garden pictures, I recalled a hobby I discovered a few years ago. At the time, I was cultivating my very first flower garden on my own land: that in itself was a delight. Every morning, I would step out my back door to observe the sunlight glimmering on the dewdrops atop my Grandpa Ott morning glories. The deep purple flowers were like velvet sheets cushioning small shining diamonds. The flowers themselves reflected the glory of the heavens.
Honestly, I don’t remember what other flowers I grew that first year–except roses: that, thankfully, is a given. I wandered beyond the narrow confines of our sweet home lot into my father’s more spacious field nearby. About ten years ago, he planted a few rows of zinnias as an aside in his vegetable garden. Now, every summer, a large portion of his field is awash with zinnia blooms. What a glorious sight!
Beyond Flowers
But, I stray from my main point. You have heard that every morning I perused the flowers, but soon my eye began to discover a new wonder: the insects who made my garden their home. Or, at least, their resting place. Now you can imagine my garden, small as it was, as an inn. Some of the insects came to sleep and breed. Some came to eat and drink. Perhaps many came at the beck of bright colors and cheery smells. I discovered the joy, not only of observing the flowers, but, also, the insect life that they attracted.
The Insect/Flower Drama
You see the picture above? One of my favorite sights that summer were these lovely yellow butterflies which loved my morning glories. I delighted in the contrast of the complimentary colors of purple and yellow and captured many a picture of the combination. And then a new sight began to puzzle my eye. My flawless purple blooms were becoming tattered and laced with holes. Soon small green caterpillars began to appear on the leaves. They grew in size and number each passing day.
Beauty Made Beast
Could it be? Were the fluttering beauties sowing the destruction of my flowers under my very nose? I actually never confirmed my suspicions, but you are welcome to the research. My point is to be discerning of what creatures you allow to play in your garden inn.
Isn’t this a stunning picture? The white throats of the Grandpa Otts caught the sun so brilliantly! You can see the holes inflicted by the green worms. Even with the worm laying waste though out the vines, the blooms were still beautiful. Also, another word of encouragement. I found another hobby besides admiring blooms and butterflies: catching caterpillars and running them over to my voracious chickens. See. Even an infestation can be a blessing. I got exercise and the chickens got protien.
So there you have it. Gardening has yet another level to play. Browse about your blooms and veggies and observe what’s going on. Get to know the creatures who inhabit your garden. And have fun doing it. 🙂
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