Cabbage butterfly

So far my attempts to attract butterflies to the garden have not been a rip-roaring success, but there are some visitors. The most common lepidopteran I've seen in the garden is the cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae), which originated in Eurasia but is now widespread here in North America. This is a male; the females have two black spots on each forewing. Cabbage butterfly larvae feed on plants in the Brassicacea family, the adults feed on nectar. (I mention this because some butterflies prefer fruit, rotting carrion, or dung!)

Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu': in bloom!

The 'Lulu' marigolds that I started from seed back in March are just starting to bloom!

I much prefer single marigolds to the double marigolds that have been bred to look like pompoms, though I seem to be in the minority judging from the bedding plants sold around here. It's nice that they're so easy to grow from seed.

Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu': foliage

The 'Lulu' marigold seedlings are now about six weeks from sowing and looking great. You can see their pretty somewhat ferny foliage and reddish stems. I've started hardening them off; can't wait for blooms!

Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu' seedlings

About a month after sowing, the Lulu marigold seedlings are definitely looking like marigolds!

Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu' seedlings!

Two weeks after sowing, and my marigold seedlings are already looking distinctive.

Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu': sprouts

Tagetes tenuifolia, known in English as "signet marigold" and in French as tagète tachée, is an annual native to Mexico and Central America. The low-growing plants have feathery foliage and flowers in various shades of orange, dark red, and yellow. This cultivar has single lemon-yellow flowers.

Here are my marigold sprouts a week after sowing. (I know, all the sprouts I posted today look almost exactly the same...)

Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu': seeds

Tagetes tenuifolia, known in English as "signet marigold" and in French as tagète tachée, is an annual native to Mexico and Central America. The low-growing plants have feathery foliage and flowers in various shades of orange, dark red, and yellow. This cultivar has single lemon-yellow flowers.

This is my first year growing signet marigolds from seed. I was surprised by the seeds, which are long and thin with a tuft of blond hair on one end.

The very day after I sowed the seeds, I was thrilled to see what I thought was a sprout! Then I realized it was just the blond tuft of the seed sticking out. Oh well, by next week I'm sure I'll have lots of real sprouts to admire.