Do you give your plants names and/or talk to them?

[Luddly Neddite]

I make salsa with my excess.

Oh yes, that is the best salsa ever, with fresh tomatoes. I also start cutting them green so I can fry them...I love fried green tomatoes.

Do you get the Gulf Fritillary butterflies on your Clematis?

I've never seen such a beautiful butterly as that one on my Clematis or on any of my other plants. The two Clematis plants I have are at the entrance to our back yard on the side of the house, so I only see them when I'm out there working or when I walk by them...but I'll have to watch and see if they come...it is truly beautiful.

One of these days I'm going to plant a butterfly garden, one that attracts butterflies. It may be on my terrace though; I doubt I'll ever have a house with a garden again. So it will in pots.

Now that we don't plant a huge veggie garden anymore (nearby Mennonites grow everything organic so we buy from them), we mostly plant for butterflies, bees and hummers.

And herbs. I really love fresh herbs for cooking.

 

[Derideo_Te]

So let me tell you about my plants and their names and stories.

Perhaps the most prolific plant in our garden is "the Donald". This is a trumpet vine that is trying to take over the entire neighborhood. I spend quite some considerable time yesterday going up and down a ladder cutting back the growth that was trying to climb both my home and the neighbors. BTW it is the "comb over" on top of the pergola that inspired the nickname.

Speaking of invasive we used to have a wonderful tea rose. However it too wanted to invade the neighborhood until it committed suicide by completely blocking the holes in the bottom of the pot it was in and then drowning in the fall rains. (I nicknamed that one Adolf )

The Twins were a pair of arborvitaes that we purchased to go on either side of the gate. Only one survived and is now about 9' tall. We purchased a creeper that was on an A frame that insisted upon growing two curved "horns" each year no matter how often I pruned them so hence the nickname El Diablo.

Both Mrs Te and my father died within a year of each other and we were giving indoor plants on both occasions. Mrs Te named them Tim and Ron respectively. We also have small garden statues. The pig with wings is my favorite and the dove is named after my late nephew Graham.

So do you have names for your plants and do you talk to them?

[Edit] Following on Luddly's excellent post (#2) the OP is now expanded to include names for anything in your garden, including wildlife.

"The Donald" has a clone here, too. My trumpet vine climbs a story each year, provides large orange florets that are poisonous to me but loved by the little Ruby throated hummingbirds who summer here. They like it well and ignore the little red hummingbird feeders for the most part when the trumpets are out. They grow 2 stories high per season, and I get to see curious little hummingbirds from my upstairs bay window all summer long. They're so terribly cute and are completely coated with pollen when they emerge from sipping from trumpets all morning. They're so cute before they lose their brilliant lime green iridescence to pollen. *sigh*

I used to have a green thumb, but can no longer do gardening. Fortunately, we have a beautiful spring display of wildflowers in Texas thanks to Lady Bird Johnson, who promoted wildflowers growing along the highways and byways of the Lone Star State. The highway department still lets them grow, and I suspect plant grasses that don't hide them in their bluebonnet glory days of April. So I have learned to love wildflowers, since that's all that I can have now, and it's enough for me.

Sounds to me like you have the perfect garden, Becki. All the wonderful flowers and birds with none of the hard work of planting, weeding, etc!

 

[Derideo_Te]

My advice about naming animals ...

Actually, this was my father's rule because, when I was a kid, I would bring home every animal, wild and domestic, that I could get my hands on. Sometime, I write about the orphan porcupine I brought home (called him Harry) and about the fawn I didn't bring home.

Finding that fawn happened about 55 years ago but I can still remember (feel) sitting on the ground in a little clearing, hot summer sun dappled through the trees and that tiny little guy curled up on the ground. Nothing moved except his eyes, watching me. So beautiful. I don't know why I had the rare common sense to leave him alone but I can also remember quietly standing up and backing away from him.

Anyway, my father did not allow the naming of those animals he hoped would be temporary because, of course, once you name them, they're yours for life. He talked a good game but I also remember him bringing home a box of kittens and their mom he found at a construction site.

Derideo_Te - thanks for the complement about the names but I'm remembering that when I was a kid, before we knew to spay/neuter our pets, and my cat would have three kittens every three months, I always named them Comanche, Apache and Spot. Honest.

Reminds me of the names my daughter gave our one and only litter of guinea pigs. Annabel because she was so pretty, Butch because he was burly little guy and Scotty because he had fur like a Scottish terrier that went in all directions. I used to joke that he had been "beamed up by Scotty" and the program had a bug in it.

 

[Asclepias]

Oh yes, that is the best salsa ever, with fresh tomatoes. I also start cutting them green so I can fry them...I love fried green tomatoes.

I've never seen such a beautiful butterly as that one on my Clematis or on any of my other plants. The two Clematis plants I have are at the entrance to our back yard on the side of the house, so I only see them when I'm out there working or when I walk by them...but I'll have to watch and see if they come...it is truly beautiful.

One of these days I'm going to plant a butterfly garden, one that attracts butterflies. It may be on my terrace though; I doubt I'll ever have a house with a garden again. So it will in pots.

Now that we don't plant a huge veggie garden anymore (nearby Mennonites grow everything organic so we buy from them), we mostly plant for butterflies, bees and hummers.

And herbs. I really love fresh herbs for cooking.

I got my start gardening by growing herbs with my grandmother. Her mother was from the Blackfoot people and taught her all about using plants to stay healthy. We never got sick as youngsters because she filled us up with home remedies from these herbs.

 

[Mertex]

I have horror story about monarchs, but you probably don't want to hear/read it.

Does it involve hornets?

No. Monarch butterflies and only monarch butterflies. Think of the movie The Birds.

We've some years where some type of butterfly - maybe it's a moth, come in swarms...they are nasty, they splash all over your car, not just the windshield...and they are caked on to the car, unless you wash it right away....just awful. Not a time when you want to go for a Sunday drive.

 

[freedombecki]

When I gardened, I canned tomatoes and made cucumber pickles. Also made pickled beets. When I had too many zuchini, I pured them and kept them in the freezer to use in cooking. I also went out to the farms and picked berries to make jam. At that time I made fresh bread as well.

Oh boy, we should talk more.

I often get made fun of in jest by my loved ones, because I'm a 6'4" big guy who loves gardening, canning, and cooking. And jams!

Made Gingery Pickled Beets, Meyer Lemon Marmalade, and Rowanberry Jam.

They say I'm domesticated. I say I like good taste.

I feel you. I get funny looks for talking about butterfly gardening.

Domestication engineers, horticulturalists, quilt enthusiasts, fiscal wizards, and lepidoptera aficionados get cheerfully adoring looks from me.

 

[Gracie]

I read somewhere that if you put slices of oranges and a peeled banana out in the garden ....maybe in the bird bath, you can attract butterflies galore.

 

[Asclepias]

I read somewhere that if you put slices of oranges and a peeled banana out in the garden ....maybe in the bird bath, you can attract butterflies galore.

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

 

[Derideo_Te]

I read somewhere that if you put slices of oranges and a peeled banana out in the garden ....maybe in the bird bath, you can attract butterflies galore.

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

I planted a butterfly bush because I was hoping that it would attract them but so far nothing in 3 years. Maybe I am doing it wrong because it is the most pathetic looking plant I have ever seen. It must be the flora equivalent of the runt of the litter.

I will check with the nursery and see if they have any ideas for what might work around here.

 

[Asclepias]

I read somewhere that if you put slices of oranges and a peeled banana out in the garden ....maybe in the bird bath, you can attract butterflies galore.

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

I planted a butterfly bush because I was hoping that it would attract them but so far nothing in 3 years. Maybe I am doing it wrong because it is the most pathetic looking plant I have ever seen. It must be the flora equivalent of the runt of the litter.

I will check with the nursery and see if they have any ideas for what might work around here.

Thats odd. I have to cut mine back twice a year. Is it in all shade? Mine is in sun all day long. Those things are listed as noxious weeds in Washington and Oregon. In my area they grow like weeds but don't reseed as prolifically.

 

[freedombecki]

I read somewhere that if you put slices of oranges and a peeled banana out in the garden ....maybe in the bird bath, you can attract butterflies galore.

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

I planted a butterfly bush because I was hoping that it would attract them but so far nothing in 3 years. Maybe I am doing it wrong because it is the most pathetic looking plant I have ever seen. It must be the flora equivalent of the runt of the litter.

I will check with the nursery and see if they have any ideas for what might work around here.

Keep trying, Derideo_Te. You may have very shy butterflies, or they may come around in hours you are away from observations. I did find a couple of butterfly bushes with butterflies online, so you're probably doing it right, don't give up!

 

[Luddly Neddite]

We have butterfly bushes too. The ones that do the best are in full son. We have so many huge trees that sun in the yard is hard to come by.

You can make a butterfly feeder ...

Start with a plant dish maybe an inch or so deep. Buy nylon plastic scrubbers. When you make hummingbird nectar, pour a little in the dish and put the scrubbers in on top. The butterflies walk on the scrubbers but probe down with their little probosces for the nectar.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Like this -

 

[Derideo_Te]

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

I planted a butterfly bush because I was hoping that it would attract them but so far nothing in 3 years. Maybe I am doing it wrong because it is the most pathetic looking plant I have ever seen. It must be the flora equivalent of the runt of the litter.

I will check with the nursery and see if they have any ideas for what might work around here.

Keep trying, Derideo_Te. You may have very shy butterflies, or they may come around in hours you are away from observations. I did find a couple of butterfly bushes with butterflies online, so you're probably doing it right, don't give up!

Going to go and see if they have any of those at the nursery down the road, Becki. My pathetic runt didn't survive the polar vortex so perhaps that is for the best. And yes, Luddly, it was in the sun.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I read somewhere that if you put slices of oranges and a peeled banana out in the garden ....maybe in the bird bath, you can attract butterflies galore.

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

My Butterfly bush is taller than I am. My roses were over 9 ft tall before I cut them back. Our plants grow big here. If you grow Petunias they will attract butterflies too.

 

[Derideo_Te]

I read somewhere that if you put slices of oranges and a peeled banana out in the garden ....maybe in the bird bath, you can attract butterflies galore.

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

My Butterfly bush is taller than I am. My roses were over 9 ft tall before I cut them back. Our plants grow big here. If you grow Petunias they will attract butterflies too.

How tall are you, Jeri?

The problem I have putting out sweet things to attract butterflies is that it will attract yellow jackets instead. Around here they are a menace and I prune back all of the trumpet vine flowers below head height so that the yellow jackets stay up and out of the way. Having been stung once I don't want that to happen again. If they get too bad I put out the glass jars to catch them but the pruning seems to be the most effective method.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I've never had any luck with fruit at all. I have several plants that attract Butterflies and hummingbirds like crazy.

Butterfly bush (Buddleja)
Purple top verbena. (Verbena bonariensis)
Milkweed (Asclepias any variety native to your area) for Monarchs
Villandry Marigold. (Tagetes)

My Butterfly bush is taller than I am. My roses were over 9 ft tall before I cut them back. Our plants grow big here. If you grow Petunias they will attract butterflies too.

How tall are you, Jeri?

The problem I have putting out sweet things to attract butterflies is that it will attract yellow jackets instead. Around here they are a menace and I prune back all of the trumpet vine flowers below head height so that the yellow jackets stay up and out of the way. Having been stung once I don't want that to happen again. If they get too bad I put out the glass jars to catch them but the pruning seems to be the most effective method.

I will take a photo of my butterfly bush for you and you can see how tall it is. I'm 5'7. I don't have much of a problem with yellow jackets around here. I do get alot of butterflies though. Sounds to me like you've got wood boring bees that look identical to yellow jackets but are difficult to get rid of. Do you have a wood pile near by? You can buy a treatment to put on that wood and that will solve your problem. I have to find out what it is called. I'll let you know.

 

[Derideo_Te]

My Butterfly bush is taller than I am. My roses were over 9 ft tall before I cut them back. Our plants grow big here. If you grow Petunias they will attract butterflies too.

How tall are you, Jeri?

The problem I have putting out sweet things to attract butterflies is that it will attract yellow jackets instead. Around here they are a menace and I prune back all of the trumpet vine flowers below head height so that the yellow jackets stay up and out of the way. Having been stung once I don't want that to happen again. If they get too bad I put out the glass jars to catch them but the pruning seems to be the most effective method.

I will take a photo of my butterfly bush for you and you can see how tall it is. I'm 5'7. I don't have much of a problem with yellow jackets around here. I do get alot of butterflies though. Sounds to me like you've got wood boring bees that look identical to yellow jackets but are difficult to get rid of. Do you have a wood pile near by? You can buy a treatment to put on that wood and that will solve your problem. I have to find out what it is called. I'll let you know.

We are surrounded by old growth woods so there are all kinds of wildlife around here. Saw a fox the other day. If there are wood boring bees they will have plenty of places to nest where I can't get at them.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

How tall are you, Jeri?

The problem I have putting out sweet things to attract butterflies is that it will attract yellow jackets instead. Around here they are a menace and I prune back all of the trumpet vine flowers below head height so that the yellow jackets stay up and out of the way. Having been stung once I don't want that to happen again. If they get too bad I put out the glass jars to catch them but the pruning seems to be the most effective method.

I will take a photo of my butterfly bush for you and you can see how tall it is. I'm 5'7. I don't have much of a problem with yellow jackets around here. I do get alot of butterflies though. Sounds to me like you've got wood boring bees that look identical to yellow jackets but are difficult to get rid of. Do you have a wood pile near by? You can buy a treatment to put on that wood and that will solve your problem. I have to find out what it is called. I'll let you know.

We are surrounded by old growth woods so there are all kinds of wildlife around here. Saw a fox the other day. If there are wood boring bees they will have plenty of places to nest where I can't get at them.

Same here. We have constant wildlife and just had a visit from "our" fox yesterday.

I'm not crazy about wasps but we plant a lot for bees, hummers and butterflies and the wasps tag along.

So, whatcha gonna do?

 

[FuzzyCat]

I haven't read this whole thread, but I had a notification that my screen name had been mentioned some place on here.

We have 16 1/2 acres, of which about 5 +/- acres are front yard. I have 17 flower beds so there is no way that I name plants or talk to them.
I also have some raised beds for veggies and a couple of other areas that I use for veggies too.
Right now I have onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, English peas, 2 kinds of carrots, 3 kinds of lettuce (if it does anything in our heat), cabbage, celery, sweet corn, green beans & several kinds of tomatoes planted. This is my second planting of English peas and I did the first picking from them yesterday.
I just pulled out the last of my radishes...again the heat, and my snap peas got frozen off this year.
We have 5 lemon trees (all small from seed) and I've just planted 2 elderberry and 6 black raspberries this spring. I'm hoping the black raspberries make it.
We have wild blue berries and black berries in our woodsy area that I pick every year or every other year depending on how hot it is & if I need any. We have a u-pick strawberry grower close and some peach orchards that sell also.

My flowers have come from all sorts of places. Some I have dug up along the sides of country roads & some from an old house site across the road from us. A few from our woodsy area too.
I am on several gardening boards and most of us share on those. I have plants from Tenn., Ca., Co., Ind., Ill., Mo., Miss., Md., Fl., Ark., Ohio....and I'm probably leaving out a couple too. And I have sent out things from one end of the country to the other north to south and east to west. Just sent a rose to Tx. a couple of weeks ago. Sent a big box to S.C. earlier this spring...it had 10 different plants in it.
I have a little garden/green house that I use for winter protection for my potted plants and I also use it year round for starts of cuttings and seeds. And this year I have 35 pots on my front porch in various sizes...most mid size to big but not LARGE!

So you can see that I don't really have time to stop & talk to plants or to name all of them.
I do good just to remember what each one is, forget naming them!

ETA...I have all kind of pollinators that visit including bees. I have 6 hummer feeders out all summer and 2 during the winter as I have gotten over-wintering hummers the last 2 yrs.
I have 4 bird baths and a bunch of feeders including 3 suet feeders. And there is an assortment of wildlife that meanders through including deer & fox.