Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the Fragrant Angel Coneflower

This pretty swallowtail butterfly couldn’t get enough of the Fragrant Angel Coneflowers yesterday.   I was actually hoping I could get pictures of the Cedar Waxwings that have been eating berries in the park.  And while I could hear them, I couldn’t see them.  But Ms. Swallowtail was very compliant.

Swallowtails are common butterflies in Michigan, but their size and lovely colors make them a welcomed visitor, nonetheless.

Something else that was unexpected in the Secret Garden is a pink hibiscus (rose mallow).  I had completely forgotten that I’d planted it.  And, in fact, I dug it up last spring thinking that whatever it was had not survived the winter.   Luckily, I forgot to toss the rootball before I went on vacation.  When I returned, there were green shoots coming out of the rootball, so I replanted it.  I kept thinking that it was some sort of oakleaf hydrangea, but, honestly, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it.  Color me surprised when I saw dinner-plated sized pink blossoms.

Rose Mallow

The Tardiva Hydrangea is blooming now, a welcome event just as the daylilies fade.  I hate to see them go.  I’ve been pulling out the flower stalks so that the clumps look tidy. The liatris is doing quite well.  I love how it blooms from the top down.

Liatris, Echinacae, and Catmint (Cool Cat)