When I am not working on the land and establishing the orchard and gardens there I can sit on my back deck and watch a flutter of movement on the massive Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium (used to be Eupatorium) purpureum) growing my garden. What a delight!
I have never seen the Joe Pye get as big as it has this year. I am quite sure all of the rain has had a lot to do with that but I also think my siting of the Joe Pye worked out well too. I have it sited in a low area behind some 'Limelight' hydrangeas where it will get part sun. These Joe Pyes are fully seven feet tall and in a clump about 6-7' round. The amount of swallowtail butterflies is staggering. I can't even count them all.
Looking closely at this picture of the garden along with Joe Pye weed you can see several swallowtails on the Joe Pye Weed even at this distance; which is on my deck and is about 100' away. More on this garden later.
Not Joe Pye weed but a fascinating creature all of its own. While moving some hay bales on the farm I was introduced to this critter. It was happily sleeping under a hay bale I rudely moved. Thinking is was a mass of slugs at first I almost took my shovel to it. I am so glad I did not! This is what I believe to be a rat snake and rat snakes are a gardeners friend. They eat rodents; which is very important in my garden. Additionally, rat snakes are not dangerous to humans. Farmer Fix-it and I simply looked at it and moved on. When we next looked at the hay bale this snake had quietly disappeared. We did a little research on the blue eyes and believe them to be because the snake is getting ready to go through a shed cycle. We found that most interesting.
Finally, one last picture of a swallowtail on the Joe Pye weed. If you like butterflies you will surely want to plant Joe Pye weed. I have always grown it in my garden but I have never recommended it to clients because its bloom cycle is rather short and because Joe Pye can get rather straggly. That will change now....
in the garden....
