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Pollinators on the Beach? Fancy Meeting You Here

So you're walking along Doran Regional Park Beach in Sonoma County on Tuesday, Oct. 16 and thinking...

A syrphid or hover fly, Eristalis tenax, nectaring on a sea rocket plant, Cakile maritima, on Oct. 18 at Doran Regional Park Beach, Sonoma. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A syrphid or hover fly, Eristalis tenax, nectaring on a sea rocket plant, Cakile maritima, on Oct. 18 at Doran Regional Park Beach, Sonoma. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A syrphid or hover fly, Eristalis tenax, nectaring on a sea rocket plant, Cakile maritima, on Oct. 18 at Doran Regional Park Beach, Sonoma. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Along with sand castles and beach balls and beach umbrellas, look for pollinators nectaring on sea rocket plants at the beach. Note the honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Along with sand castles and beach balls and beach umbrellas, look for pollinators nectaring on sea rocket plants at the beach. Note the honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Along with sand castles and beach balls and beach umbrellas, look for pollinators nectaring on sea rocket plants at the beach. Note the honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Footprints in the sand? Yes, and bees and other pollinators nectaring on sea rocket. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Footprints in the sand? Yes, and bees and other pollinators nectaring on sea rocket. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Footprints in the sand? Yes, and bees and other pollinators nectaring on sea rocket. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European sea rocket grows in clumps or mounds on sandy beaches along the coastlines of North Africa, western Asia, and North America. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
European sea rocket grows in clumps or mounds on sandy beaches along the coastlines of North Africa, western Asia, and North America. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

European sea rocket grows in clumps or mounds on sandy beaches along the coastlines of North Africa, western Asia, and North America. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 4:31 PM

Ride to UCD Arboretum Teaching Nursery

Hitched a ride with a friend last week to a plant sale at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery. I trust the plants they sell will be “true to form” and live up to the size, use, water, care, and feeding regime stated on the plant labels.  
 
I managed to stay focused as I perused their healthy selection of plants. This time I put together a selection of plants to replace a small bed at the entrance to my back garden. The bed is bordered on both sides by narrow concrete paths used as walkways to haul out our trash bins. I carefully gathered plants that should not venture outside the bed boundary as they mature.
 
I have high hopes for a Lavendula allardii ‘Meerlo' PP25559 according to the label provided by the Sunset Western Garden Collection. This lavender is a compact  24-36” high by 24-30” wide liking full sun to part shade useful in borders and containers. The leaves are variegated and fragrant with deep violet-blue flowers in late spring. It also attracts butterflies and has little need for fertilizer. It will be drought-tolerant once established. It is also deer-resistant.
 
Also chosen were a couple of variegated sage, an ornamental grass, Festuca idahoeensis ‘Clearwater Blue', and a California fuchsia, Epilobium canum ‘Bowman's #1'. All drought-tolerant with complimentary coloring. 
 
With this plant grouping I really spent time selecting plants that will fit this space at maturity, it was so tempting to choose a number of dazzlers at this plant sale, but for once I stated on point.

photo by Trisha Rose
photo by Trisha Rose

Posted on Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 1:52 PM

Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars!

It starts out slow. Beginning in the spring (and sometimes year-around in some locales) Gulf...

A Gulf Fritillary laying eggs on her host plant, passionflower vine. Note the eggs (yellow dots) on the left. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Gulf Fritillary laying eggs on her host plant, passionflower vine. Note the eggs (yellow dots) on the left. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Gulf Fritillary laying eggs on her host plant, passionflower vine. Note the eggs (yellow dots) on the left. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

By fall, the only thing left on the passionflower vine is the fruit. The leaves are gone. The hungry caterpillars are like insect shredding machines. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
By fall, the only thing left on the passionflower vine is the fruit. The leaves are gone. The hungry caterpillars are like insect shredding machines. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

By fall, the only thing left on the passionflower vine is the fruit. The leaves are gone. The hungry caterpillars are like insect shredding machines. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

No leaves--just fruit--remain on this skeletonized passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
No leaves--just fruit--remain on this skeletonized passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

No leaves--just fruit--remain on this skeletonized passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The end result: a Gulf Fritillary adult. This one is nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The end result: a Gulf Fritillary adult. This one is nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The end result: a Gulf Fritillary adult. This one is nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 5:00 PM

They Don't Announce Their Arrival or Departure

They don't announce their arrival or departure. If you're an insect photographer, or a...

A female variegated meadowhawk dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum, perches on a bamboo stake in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A female variegated meadowhawk dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum, perches on a bamboo stake in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female variegated meadowhawk dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum, perches on a bamboo stake in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

In this view, you can see the “bi-colored” Pterostigma on the wing tip and the two black spots on the top of the tip of the abdomen,
In this view, you can see the “bi-colored” Pterostigma on the wing tip and the two black spots on the top of the tip of the abdomen," noted Greg Kareofelas, Bohart Museum of Entomology associate. "This is unique to this species (Sympetrum corruptum)." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

In this view, you can see the “bi-colored” Pterostigma on the wing tip and the two black spots on the top of the tip of the abdomen," noted Greg Kareofelas, Bohart Museum of Entomology associate. "This is unique to this species (Sympetrum corruptum)." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A blurred Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) forms a backdrop for the variegated meadowhawk dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A blurred Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) forms a backdrop for the variegated meadowhawk dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A blurred Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) forms a backdrop for the variegated meadowhawk dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A flickering light and backdrop of a Mexican sunflower add to this image of the dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A flickering light and backdrop of a Mexican sunflower add to this image of the dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A flickering light and backdrop of a Mexican sunflower add to this image of the dragonfly, Sympetrum corruptum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 5:00 PM

Spotting the Cabbage White Butterfly

They're everywhere. But they're not welcome. Agriculturists who commercially grow cabbage and...

A cabbage white butterlfy, Pieris rapae, heads for lantana in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A cabbage white butterlfy, Pieris rapae, heads for lantana in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A cabbage white butterlfy, Pieris rapae, heads for lantana in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The cabbage white butterfly flips. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The cabbage white butterfly flips. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The cabbage white butterfly flips. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Cabbage white butterfly returns to sip some nectar from the lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Cabbage white butterfly returns to sip some nectar from the lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Cabbage white butterfly returns to sip some nectar from the lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Monday, October 15, 2018 at 5:02 PM

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