Adding a New Garden

If you follow my Instagram stories, you’ll see how much I enjoy gardening. It is good exercise and something about being around all those plants and soil is very peaceful. I grow tomatoes and herbs but love perennial and annual cottage-style gardens.

When planning a pollinator garden for our front yard, I researched a bit for a good design. It needed to fit the existing landscape and provide food, water, shelter, and various seasonal native plants. We also already tend our yard using organic gardening practices, but keep it tidy.

A Tiny Water Feature

I was intrigued when I came across a bee watering station. Bees do not get much water from their pollen and nectar foraging. Since they are so small, they need a tiny space with small platforms on which to land for water access (birdbaths aren’t right for them, but great for a pollinator garden).

I admit I was a little skeptical, but I found a small clay water saucer that was just the right size. I filled it with some pea gravel and a larger smooth egg rock borrowed from another garden space. When I water the garden, I refill the saucer — almost daily right now.

A Brush With a Butterfly

I expected a few bees to land there, and I’ve seen them as they forage the garden flowers. The other day though, I was surprised to see a yellow butterfly, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, stop for a moment. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a picture of it.

It turns out that butterflies like to “puddle.” They are most often found puddling as a group in a muddy area. It seems they need salt and minerals for reproduction, and they suck up these nutrients from wet soil and decaying plant material that tends to collect over time in my little saucer. My butterfly was taking a moment to enjoy the soupy mix.

How sweet to be able to capture it standing still for a moment. If you love gardening, consider adding this to your space. You’ll be doing some good for our environment and, chances are, you might have a very welcome surprise visitor too.