Home » Plants & Animals » Butterfly Gardening » It's A Hummer! A Bumble Bee? No! A SPHINX MOTH!

It's A Hummer! A Bumble Bee? No! A SPHINX MOTH!

© Naomi Mathews

It was a warm but very pleasant July evening as I sat on my garden bench in our front courtyard. The blazing sun that had kept me indoors all afternoon had finally disappeared behind the distant hills carved against the western horizon. The luminous hues of colors that now bathed the early evening sky were magnificent as opposed to the static bright blue that had predominated aloft since early morning. An almost imperceptible breeze wafted across my face as the atmosphere began to slowly cool around me, a welcome relief after the mid-90 degree temperatures that had ruled the day.

For a few moments that evening I stood in awe at the resplendent beauty of God's handiwork that He had woven in the tapestry of the heavens. I watched as the gorgeous colors of the evening sky gradually melded together as one. Then, with a sigh of contentment, I decided it was the perfect time to take a walk around our yard . . . to enjoy the soothing scents, sights, and sounds of eventide. I definitely felt the need to take a bit of time from my often frenetic days to enjoy the labor of love that I have "planted" in my flower beds. And, I also wanted to watch and listen for some of the night creatures that might come to visit at dusk.

Since our daily visiting butterflies had likely sought out their special places to roost for the night, I assumed they wouldn't still be out and about. Likewise, the honey bees could no longer be heard buzzing among the scented blossoms of the butterfly bushes they favor. However, I did anticipate that one or two of this summer's hummingbird "regulars" might be seeking a final sip or two of sweet nectar before bedding down for the night.

Strolling toward the back yard flower beds, I deadhead several spent roses along the way and automatically inspected them for aphids. Knowing that hummingbirds and other beneficial insects such as lacewings and ladybugs eat those nasty aphids gives me a small measure of satisfaction. You see, it's a really bad "no-no" to use poisonous pesticides to control the unwanteds in butterfly or hummingbird gardens.

Continuing on my walk, I note that my pink buddleia (butterfly bush) is in full bloom and oh so fragrant! The deep purple buddleia has magnificent blossoms on it as well, although its blossoms are not as profuse as those on the pink buddleia. These sweet buddleia blossoms have been the most popular in our entire yard this summer for our visiting butterflies. They have even attracted some hummingbirds. From there, the hummers whir over to the arbor to sip nectar from the honeysuckle vines that have been blooming for the past month or more. Since my honeysuckle blossoms are pale yellow, I wasn't sure that the hummers would find them. I needn't have worried, however, as they have been visiting them regularly.