Blooming buddleia,
At the height of summer;
No butterflies!
As a recorder of butterflies in our little garden I am happy to see that my wonderful buddleia* is enjoying some afternoon sunshine. Unfortunately, I have not recorded any butterflies in the garden since late May. I am advised by the County Recorder that the lack of butterflies may be due to the mild and wet winter, followed by a dull, mild and wet spring! The weather!!! The climate???
My geraniums are still flowering but here are some daisies** that have burst into flower over the last few days.
*The buddleia, Buzz Velvet Red, has shot up this year. It was supposed to be a dwarf variety. All buddleia usually known as ‘butterfly bush’.
**The daisies are actually Leucanthemum superbum white. We also have them in yellow but they are just not as far forward.
Ashley
A Different View 
Even without the butterflies, Ashley, your garden is so beautiful!
And weather will change…
Joanna
Dear Joanna, thank you. It has been windy today, but there were a few moments when it dropped and it was lovely just to sit and observe. 🌹🤗🙋♂️
That is the pleasure of having a beautiful garden, dear Ashley, so much to see and even hear!
Joanna xx
Beautiful photos and an excellent hokku, Ashleaf-san! I will predict that you will begin seeing butterflies soon. The numbers will probably be down from other years, but I’m just guessing. I am concerned about them, though. Keep observing!!
Thank you, Edo-san. I’m aware that the butterflies may have a 2nd brood if the weather improves and then we should see them again. However, it does seem strange not having them in the garden for over a month. 🙋♂️
Buddleia is renowned for attracting butterflies isn’t it. I might have to get one for my back yard! The weather just isn’t behaving is it. We have 40mph winds forecast for tomorrow, hardly butterfly friendly. Love the daisies. 🙂
Hi Sharon, buddleia can grow very big and untidy, so I bought 2 ‘dwarf’ buddleia a couple of years ago but they became just too big for their pots. The one in my photo is now in the border but it has shot up this year and is now about 5ft high. It will be cut back later in the year. I think the wind also keeps the butterflies from flying, if there are any out there. 🤗🌹🙋♂️
The buddleia seem to be thriving in your care Ashley. Your obviously too good a gardener! 😁
My moth trap numbers are really down too, particularly the larger ones
Thank you, Ruth, for visiting my blog. 🤗🌹 I assume numbers of moths are down are for the same reasons as the butterflies. Cold and damp weather. Do you record the moths? I’d like to be better at identifying them and think a moth trap is a good place to start. 🙋♂️
There is the initial expense unless you can borrow one but it’s a great thing to do. There are a couple of books I would recommend if you would like to know more, and the iNaturalist app will help you ID them when you get started. It’s very easy. The local or county moth group is a very good place to start, by newsletter or facebook usually.
Thanks, Ruth. I’m already a butterfly ‘recorder’ so it would be easy to add moths! All of this, in our garden.
If you haven’t already, read Much Ado About Mothing and the Gateway Guide, both by James Lowen
Thank you xx
nice to see a post from you Ashley. beautiful photos! Mike
Thank you, Mike, for dropping in and your lovely comment. 🙋♂️
Wow! Love your buddleia 🙂 It’s my favorite color. Your daisies are perfect. Sorry about the butterflies 😦 They’re already a rare sight in our garden. I was pleased to learn that spiders are also pollinators. We’ve got lots of spiders.
Dear Rosaliene, that’s interesting about spiders! I don’t think I’ll openly encourage them in the garden as my wife would not be happy. 😉 In the house, I have a dedicated jam jar and an envelope in readiness for their eviction from indoors! 🤗🌹🙋♂️
I don’t like them around either, Ashley 🙂 After learning that, I’ve stopped “evicting” them when I see them among my plants. Besides, they control the tiny pests.
Most beautiful garden – and so are the photos! Yes, less butterflies here in Austria too, it seems. Hope it’s only a temporary thing.
Thank you, Friedrich, I hope we have some warm and not so windy weather soon, to allow a second brood of butterflies to appear. 🙏
I don’t think I’ve seen a butterfly yet, Ashley, though my garden usually attracts them. Your Haiku is powerful.
Thanks, Michael, for your compliment. 🙏 Regarding butterflies, I started seeing butterflies in the garden this year around late March (mostly Holly Blues) and numbers increased until the end of May. Then nothing since then! Here’s hoping for some warmer weather soon. 🙋♂️
Lovely floral images, Ashley! As for the butterflies… feel sad for them…
Thank you, Indira for your lovely comments. 🙏
Beautiful Garden and haiku, Ashley. we’re still getting a few happily! 💗
Thank you, Cindy for your visit and comments. 🌹🙋♂️
You’re so very welcome, Ashley💓
Yes, it’s the same here. Very few butterflies in the garden. It’s a bit worrying
Thank you, Paula, for your visit here. Let’s hope we have some warm sunshine soon to encourage the later butterflies into our gardens. 🌹🙋♂️
Yes, fingers crossed!
GOOD WEEK-END
Grazie molto. Anche tu! 👍
🙂
I’ve seen a few butterflies this side of the Irish Sea, Ashley, though I havent done a head count.
Thanks Graham. I think numbers are down, all over! 🙋♂️
A beautiful garden Ashley, I do believe it is the weather responsible for the butterflies. I did see the odd one in our garden but not many at all. We do have mor insects though and beetles here, we saw a stag beetle the other day.
We have April weather here rain, sun rain, sun……
Dear Ute, thank you. It’s cold too although in moments between the clouds, the sun was warm, it just doesn’t last for long. 🤗🙋♂️
SALUTI
BUON WEEK-END
BUON INIZIO SETTIMANA
I think your garden must look absolutely splendid! But it’s sad to hear about the lack of butterflies 😢
It’s been dry enough for a few days to allow to paint fences, cut a hedge & even sit outside with a cup’o’tea! ☕☕
OK
What a gorgeous garden you have, Ashley! Divine! 💖🌻
Dear Annabel, thank you for your lovely comment about my little garden. 🌹💓
Dear Ute, thank you for the pingback 🤗💓
Awwww! Hoping the butterflies return soon, Ashley. The butterfly bush in your picture is the grandest I’ve seen. 🙂
Thank you, Lisa, a few have returned but still the numbers are low. Perhaps we’ll see more in August if the sun brings a bit more heat 🌞🌞🌞
Today i took pictures of four different butterflies in the nearby forest. Due to weather anomalies, which are regarded as a major factor, some insects find difficulties to proceed from egg to larva and to adult insects.
Thank you. I agree, the weather plays its part! I record butterflies only in my garden & know that if I was to look elsewhere around the countryside I would probably see more of them, but overall, numbers are down. As human beings, we are not weather dependent when it comes to reproduction, hence we are now more than 8 billion beings & rising!
Thank you Ashley for sharing your great garden delights and your excellent photos. Love your poem and the daisy that have burst into bloom!
Dear Suzette, thank you for your lovely comments. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. 🤗🙋♂️
Beautiful photos! ❤️
Thank you for your visit here and lovely comment. 🙋♂️
My pleasure. 😊
Strange about the butterflies. He have quite a few here and we had a wet winter and since then the weather changes from hot to cool and rainy constantly. But when I’m out in the sunshine I see butterflies everywhere were there are flowers.
Let’s hope that the butterflies return!
Thank you, for your visit here & your comments. In the last few days we’ve had some warm and dryer weather and I’ve ar last seen some in my garden. 🦋
I’ve seen butterflies, bu I’ve been wondering about the hummingbird. Normally, the hummingbird visits daily once the canna lilies are blooming, but so far, I haven’t seen any.
Your garden is beautiful, and I’m sure the butterflies will be visiting soon.
Thank you Nan, for your comments. Perhaps the hummingbird is also affected by the change in weather patterns. In the last few days some butterflies have visited our little garden which is good to see but generally over all of these islands, it seems that numbers are down.
I am sure you are right. I briefly saw a hummingbird about two months earlier than normal, but none since. We get our fair share of butterflies, mostly skippers, and I am seeing them all over the place now.
Of course, with hummingbirds, it requires being in the right place at the right time, too.
Have a lovely weekend, Ashley.