Photos: Charleston Library Butterfly Gardens

[ysabetwordsmith]

We visited the butterfly gardens at the Charleston Library, on June 19 although this is dated 20 because it's after midnight.  They were filled with birds, although I didn't manage to catch any pictures of them.


This is the back side of the Charleston Library and its parking lot.




Several islands in the parking lot are planted with wildflowers. I saw sparrows even at these small patches.




Here is another island, looking downslope toward some trees.




This is the view from the parking lot, looking west over the butterfly garden. You can barely see the roofs of the houses across the street, as they're set lower.  The birds mostly flew away as we approached.




I believe this is pale purple coneflower. Its petals form a long skirt below the cone, and are lighter in color compared to purple coneflower.




Fleabane is what's called a "weedy wildflower."




Purple coneflower buds begin with the petals pointing up, like a crown.




In full bloom, the petals are horizontal. After the peak, they droop downward, but not straight down like pale purple coneflower.




Black eyed Susan has cheerful yellow flowers.




The lower part of the butterfly garden slopes down toward the trees.




This is spiderwort, not currently blooming.




This is catmint. It is somewhat similar to catnip but with smaller leaves.




A bee visits a purple coneflower.




Butterflyweed blooms in big clusters of orange.




Bees love this too.




This patch of the garden is full of flowers.




At the top of the little hill, there are some bare patches with gravel and mulch, in addition to the mostly-bare path up there.




Yellow coreopsis and white fleabane bloom together.




This is purple prairie clover.




Bindweed grows in several patches. It's a blighted nuisance to get rid of.




This weed might be hedge parsley. It produces clingy seeds.




Here's another view of the lower portion as I'm coming back down the little hill.




This is a patch of native grass, possibly little bluestem.


 

Comments

[cmcmck]

We have fleabane in our garden and the bees adore it!

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

We have some, and some insects like it. But it's the frost aster at the end of summer that gets buried in clouds of butterflies.

Re: Yes ...

[cmcmck]

That's the buddleia with us!

Re: Yes ...

[full_metal_ox]

I wonder if fleabane’s unattractive common English name may have contributed to its bum rap; certainly I’ve seen countless rustic quilting and apparel fabrics patterned with just such profuse tiny daisylike flowers.

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I wonder if fleabane’s unattractive common English name may have contributed to its bum rap;<<

That's possible. But unless you can see the leaves and/or seasonal clues, spring fleabanes are really hard to tell from fall's weedy asters like frost aster.

>> certainly I’ve seen countless rustic quilting and apparel fabrics patterned with just such profuse tiny daisylike flowers.<<

LOL yes, it's a dominant motif in calico where you don't want big flowers. I've also seen it in some embroidery.

[shirebound]

Three cheers for pollinator and butterfly plantings, large and small.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

We have a bunch around town. :D

[yourlibrarian]

Hooray for wildflowers in parking lot islands and other public spaces. So needed!

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

It's things like this that make me think, "And what if everybody did this?" It wouldn't replace all the habitat that humans have ravaged, but it would still make a huge improvement.

Re: Yes ...

[full_metal_ox]

The avian presence is unsurprising: a lot of those plants also produce seeds, which—along with pollinating insects—would provide food for birds. (As well as for small mammals, who in turn would feed still other birds.)

(This garden also showcases the size and diversity of the composite family.)

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

It's way too early for seeds. Late summer, when the coneflowers (that are just starting to bloom) have set seeds, they will be swarming with finches. At least mine are. This early, very little has set seed, so my guess was hunting insects.

I love composite flowers. But frost aster is the only aster I regularly get. I've planted others but haven't hit on the right one yet.

[adafrog]

Pretty.