Friday, August 4

Yin and Yang in the Garden

Yin and Yang. definition: two primal opposing but complementary forces found in all things in the universe


One thing that I love about gardening is that a good surprise seems to balance out every disappointment, as long as you keep your eyes open to see and your heart open to experience the wonder around you.

This morning, as I picked up a piece of trash that had blown into the garden overnight, I found two bright and beautiful black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. Even I am amazed at how quickly my disappointment over the squash vine borers dissolved in a wave of childlike delight.

Unfortunately, these two have hatched on the same small bronze fennel plant, which I allowed to grow in a crack between the house and the driveway. Fortunately, I have lots more bronze fennel to feed them if need be.

If my boyfriend finds the old aquarium that he swears he has, we may bring one or both inside to help raise them. Otherwise, I'll keep my fingers crossed that they turn into beautiful butteflies next year.

"How does one become a butterfly?"
"You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar."
- Trina Paulus, from Hope for the Flowers

Special thanks to Brian for taking these wonderful pictures this morning.

5 comments:

Goatboy said...

Wow! These pics are brilliant

~~ Melissa said...

ooh and aahh..I especially love that top photo. It's mesmorizing.

Unknown said...

:) I'll pass along your compliments to Brian, who took the pictures as I was on my way to work yesterday morning!

Did you all notice the fly carcass in the top photo? It's at the bottom of the picture--not as cool as the swallowtail cats for sure, but still kind of fun to pick out.

Oh, and I found caterpillar #3 on the tall fennel next to where these two are dining. Yay!

Annie in Austin said...

Compliments to Brian, for the photos. After the original plant of bronze fennel died in my herb bed, new seedlings keep coming up in all the wrong places, looking like chewed up weeds. The swallowtails find the fennel before I see it, and who can pull up fennel with little cats already in place?

Sigruns German Garden said...

Good photos! Brilliant!

Sigrun

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