the fennel is back!

after my baby black swallowtail butterflies stripped every bit of green from my fennel, i thought it was a goner for sure, but just as miraculously as metamorphosis, it has come back: yes!

butterflies galore!

i forgot to post an update on my black swallowtail butterfly babies: they hatched! after a driving rain for much of the week, only two chrysalis remained, but on labor day, they miraculously opened ! it was really cool and i feel so privileged to have witnessed something of such exquisite beauty and grace!

chrysalis

woke up this morning and the first thing i did was check on my butterfly babies. the eleven caterpillars ate every bit of green from my fennel plant, stripping it down to a white carcass. today, the beasts were gone, but in the place of four of them were these awesome chrysalis! wow! metamorphosis rocks!

butterfly babies?

in one of my large containers i am growing fennel: its modern; its sculptural; its delicious! this week i noticed some lumps on it that were moving: black swallow-tail butterfly caterpillars!