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I've never been particularly fond of zinnias, but maybe I just didn't know them very well. The large garden zinnias, planted in the Peter Rabbit Garden by a colleague, are butterfly magnets. The zinnias reseeded happily from last year, and right now it's a wonderful butterfly pitstop.
Maybe because of our drought, nectar sources are literally drying up, so only minimally watered garden flowers are a respite.
But the butterflies were abundant - mostly tiger, black, and pipevine swallowtails, with an odd silver-spotted skipper, gulf fritillary, and a single monarch dropping by.
Pipevine swallowtail
I love this whimsical garden. I enjoyed Peter Rabbit and other Beatrix Potter stories as a child (and still do) -- and the illustrations are wonderful. So the idea of having a small cottage garden, complete with a child-sized garden shed was appealing, and the reality has been even more fun. It changes seasonally; right now the zinnias are stars.
The sweet bright blue chair is a kid-magnet. Shortly before I took this picture, a delightful tow-headed toddler was insistent about clambering up to sit on it. It'll be fun to do our Peter Rabbit Salad Garden program next weekend!
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