Tomato "Visitors"

Gardenboy · December 16, 2016

My son and daughter-in-law took pictures while I was fertilizing my tomato plants this morning. The tomatoes shown are Mortgage Lifter.

greenthumbomaha · December 16, 2016

Spectacular photography.

Your garden must be a welcome mat for butterflies. Butterfly weed is short lived for me here. Are your non-tomato floral plantings designed for specific guests?

I don't see that much diversity, perhaps a function of climate and plants.

- Lisa.
Many thanks to you and your human visitors.

Gardenboy · December 16, 2016

All of my 40+ tomato plants are to the right of my "butterfly" garden. Not really anything specific. Lots of milkweed and tropical milkweed for the Monarch butterfly larvae and some Lantana shrubs but they are not flowering right now. I also have my oregano and Italian parsley blooming too. The green, blue Orchid bees also love the tomato flower blooms and eggplant blossoms.

My Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia) and Mexican Flame vines are also in bloom most of the year. I think a few other butterfly larvae like to breed and live among my white Passion Flower vine flowers.

Jimbotomateo · December 16, 2016

Are those bees in last pic with butterfly? I vote best bug pictures yet. Stunning camera work!

Gardenboy · December 17, 2016

Yes a few Orchid Bees and some Horseflies.

RJGlew · December 17, 2016

Excellent pictures - thank you.

KarenO · December 17, 2016

beautiful. a breath of summer
KarenO

Labradors2 · December 17, 2016

Gorgeous butterflies and great photography. Mortgage Lifter looks good too! Thanks for sharing and brightening up my day!

Linda

ddsack · December 17, 2016

Nice pictures! And I am envious of the green polkadot eyes, wouldn't those eyes be cool on a human!

AlittleSalt · December 17, 2016

Butterflies are such an important part of the garden. Even if they didn't help pollinate, their beauty would be reason enough to have them around.

Excellent pictures.

DonnaMarieNJ · December 17, 2016

What a wonderful thread to look at AFTER I SHOVELED MY SIDEWALK!

Beautiful!

Gardenboy · December 17, 2016

Happy Birthday Donna! Maybe it's belated...took picture of the beach after my morning walk and from fertilizing the tomatoes!

**carolyn137** · December 17, 2016

Spectacular pictures and for sure I'll take that walk to the shore as the snow has been pelting down here.

Carolyn

Gardenboy · December 17, 2016

Some parts of the beach...clothing is optional!!

**carolyn137** · December 17, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardenboy

Some parts of the beach...clothing is optional!!

Thanks for the warning.

It wouldn't work anyway since my walker legs would sink into the sand and down I'd go.

But it's great even thinking about it.

Carolyn

December 16, 2016	#3
Gardenboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 771	All of my 40+ tomato plants are to the right of my "butterfly" garden. Not really anything specific. Lots of milkweed and tropical milkweed for the Monarch butterfly larvae and some Lantana shrubs but they are not flowering right now. I also have my oregano and Italian parsley blooming too. The green, blue Orchid bees also love the tomato flower blooms and eggplant blossoms. My Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia) and Mexican Flame vines are also in bloom most of the year. I think a few other butterfly larvae like to breed and live among my white Passion Flower vine flowers. Last edited by Gardenboy; December 16, 2016 at 11:06 PM.

December 17, 2016	#9
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	Nice pictures! And I am envious of the green polkadot eyes, wouldn't those eyes be cool on a human! __________________ Dee **************

December 17, 2016	#11
DonnaMarieNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northeast New Jersey Posts: 726	What a wonderful thread to look at AFTER I SHOVELED MY SIDEWALK! Beautiful! __________________ DonnaMarieNJ I pay the mortgage, but my cats own the house!

December 17, 2016	#13
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Spectacular pictures and for sure I'll take that walk to the shore as the snow has been pelting down here. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

December 16, 2016	#2
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Spectacular photography. Your garden must be a welcome mat for butterflies. Butterfly weed is short lived for me here. Are your non-tomato floral plantings designed for specific guests? I don't see that much diversity, perhaps a function of climate and plants. - Lisa. Many thanks to you and your human visitors.

December 16, 2016	#4
Jimbotomateo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Santa Maria California Posts: 1,006	Are those bees in last pic with butterfly? I vote best bug pictures yet. Stunning camera work!

December 17, 2016	#6
RJGlew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 643	Excellent pictures - thank you.

December 17, 2016	#7
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,923	beautiful. a breath of summer KarenO

December 17, 2016	#8
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,889	Gorgeous butterflies and great photography. Mortgage Lifter looks good too! Thanks for sharing and brightening up my day! Linda

December 17, 2016	#10
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Butterflies are such an important part of the garden. Even if they didn't help pollinate, their beauty would be reason enough to have them around. Excellent pictures.