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"Flying Flowers" are Out and About!

© Naomi Mathews

Don't they always seem to take you by surprise every year? If you're anything like me, you've been really busy catering to your garden for weeks. You finally get that last plant in the ground and feel very good about yourself and the world. Your flowers are budding, blooming, and cascading all over your garden and you couldn't be happier.

That is, until suddenly and without any fanfare or warning, you see it! It practically brushed its soft, feathery wings against your face, then flitted quickly off to one of your lovely Buddleia now in full bloom. Now it's over there, landing ever so lightly on one of your bright purple coneflowers you prayed would bloom this year!

You squint in the early morning sunshine and take a closer look. Could it be a . . . butterfly?

YES! Your butterflies have returned! You are wildly happy, as this is your very first sighting of the year of this beautiful, mystical creature. A sigh of contentment escapes your lips as you quietly move toward your garden bench, just to sit a spell and contemplate the wonders of Mother Nature. And because, after all, this is one of the highlights of summer! The return of the "flying flowers!"

Watch for These Gorgeous "Flying Flowers" in Your Garden!

Eastern and Western Tailed Blues

The species of butterflies called Blues are members of the family of known as "gossamer wings." There are also other butterflies of the gossamer wing family, such as the coppers and hairstreaks. The Eastern and Western Tailed Blues are quite similar in appearance, the major difference being the markings on their undersides. As their name implies, the ranges of these two butterflies also differ. The habitat of the Eastern Blue is east of the Rocky Mountains, while that of the Western Blue is west of the Rockies. Although sometimes they may cross over their usual habitat areas as they meet at the Rockies, they don't stray too far one way or the other. Another miracle of Mother Nature, don't you agree?

Blues are very small butterflies. Research shows that one species--the pygmy blue--is probably the smallest butterfly worldwide. When its wings are spread wide, this little blue gem is less than a half inch across! Blues like to feed on asters, wild flowering mustard, and also lupine. They can also often be seen hovering very close to your lawn seeking nectar, especially if it happens to have small white clover blooming in it.

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