Wildlife Gardening Journal

Identifying Lady Butterflies in the Garden

Correctly identifying butterflies can be difficult even for those with years of experience. The U.S. is blessed with three varieties of “Lady” butterflies, each beloved and beautiful, but often misidentified. Commonly, all three are often called “Painted Ladies”. However, there are actually three different species in the Vanessa genus: Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui), American Ladies ...

Gomphrena Fireworks: a Lovely Splash of Color in the Garden

One of my favorite garden plants is a globe amaranth, Gomphrena "Fireworks." This is a good thing since it has reseeded prolifically in my garden, and every year I find them popping up in pots and unexpected places like, well, my lawn. Don't let that scare you away from this flower, however. The pink blossoms ...