October is the month the community garden becomes less photogenic. The squash plants are nearly done and gone. The potatoes are coming out of the ground. The herbs have been retrieved and will go to my mother’s home garden.
Plants that are still thriving like the peppers and some of the tomatoes won’t be soon as temperatures continue to drop. Even the Swiss chard which has been the most prolific and hardy of any plant I have ever grown is starting to decline.
So, I decided to feature two images taken earlier this year. I’ve looked up these two to determine if they are the same kind.
As best as I can determine, both are swallowtails. The caterpillar was to become a black swallowtail. The butterfly pictured below was a tiger swallowtail most prevalent in the gardens this year.
Although I did see a few monarch butterflies, and other smaller varieties, I saw far more swallowtails like this.
I just brought home one of my last harvests today. There will be a couple more and once all plants are gone I will clear the beds and add what is left to the compost pile. I’ve done gardens before but never had I used community garden plots. It worked well and I’m glad I tried it.
Oh, and as an aside, I turned 60 yesterday. I guess I’ve gone from catapillar to butterfly in the 60+ club although it feels a long time ago that I was a caterpillar.
I’m grateful for this life. Gardens, butterflies and birthdays are a tiny part as it continues to be an adventure in every chapter.