What the Phlox?

It's been so hot and humid it's hard to believe that autumn is just around the corner. While the days may be getting shorter, the crickets and cicadas are definitely getting louder. At least, they are a welcome distraction from the sad reality of the news. My thoughts are with all those affected by the wildfires, the hurricane, Covid-19 and yet again, more heartless shootings that end young lives and change their families forever. Hopefully, in the coming election, we can have an effect on future disasters, maybe even avoid some of them. Things can change if we vote. 

Thank goodness for Mother Nature and the butterfly migration! I'm always amazed by how tough these fragile creatures are. During the day it's mostly Monarchs, Admirals and Yellow Swallowtails. 

At dusk it's the moths, a lot of the ones that look like hummingbirds show up. A few actual hummingbirds are around too, but even if I'm lucky enough to have a camera handy, I still only get blurry photos!

Awhile ago, I started to notice that there were quite a few butterflies in our garden and that they really liked the phlox. Thanks to my neglect this spring, they have taken over. Since they are one of the butterflies favorite treats, does that qualify as a silver lining? Somewhere, among all these phlox are about a dozen peony and hydrangea plants, hopefully they will survive.

It wasn't always this bad. There were a couple medium sized clumps in the backyard when we moved in. I have tried replacing them with fancy hybrids from the garden center. They were dainty little plants with bi-colored flowers and ruffly edges. Unfortunately, they rarely lasted more than a season and what came up in their place was a whole different story. At least they're not the invasive variety. Some of this season's crop is definitely going to be removed and those remaining will be carefully deadheaded. There will still be plenty left for the butterflies, of course.  

They really came up everywhere. 

Even between bricks and cement.

Always photobombing pictures of other flowers.

Yet still attracting the butterflies. Sometimes too much of a good thing is really a good thing.

After all this heat, these cooler summer nights are wonderful!

Now I need to open a new page and donate to the Red Cross and Black Lives Matter.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope everyone is enjoying a lovely summer evening.