Fall in Our Gardens & Beyond

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Here's a sampling of plants and more found in MG gardens at home and in the demonstration gardens. Also check out photos from our Fall into Gardening Day.

A Red Spotted Purple on Impatiens (N.Miller)

 Hermit Sphinx Moth: Caterpillars feed on bee balm (Monarda), mints (Mentha), sage (Salvia) and bugleweed (Lycopis). The caterpillars go underground to pupate.

When they emerge as moths, they have a wing span of about 2 1/2 x 3 inches. The moths like deep-throated flowers such as honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), petunia (Petunia spp.) and catalpa (Catalpa spp.). After dark, moths, as well as bats, take over the pollinating night shift.

Monarch Caterpillar on Milkweed (J.Kauffman)

Monarch Chrysalis (J.Kauffman)

Monarch at Memorial Park (N.Miller)

Sunflower (B.Petrucci)

Lots of Sunflowers (B.Petrucci)

Fields and fields of sunflowers off Springview Road in Chambersburg.

Sunflowers at Sunset (M.Bowman)

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars (C.Kagan)

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Wooly Bear Caterpillar

Here's a wooly bear caterpillar.  I am often asked what kind of butterfly they become. These caterpillars become a moth – Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella).

Isabella Tiger Moth (S.Bayard)

Legend cites these caterpillars as forecasters of winter weather. The wider the stripe the milder the winter, so goes the folklore. Several years ago local Master Gardeners photographed their caterpillars. Visit the Franklin County Master Gardener blog to see what happened. Has this been proven by scientific fact? See Check out the Michigan State University  page to find out.

Caterpillar (C.Kagan)/ Moth (B.Moul)

What's in your yard or garden?



Wooly Bear Caterpillars

Wooly Bear on Farmers Almanac - Photo Credit Catherine Boeckmann 

Wooly Bear caterpillars are the focus of one of the items in this week's news column.  Dr. Michael Raupp of the University of Maryland (also known as The Bug Guy) featured them in his October 14th, 2012 Bug of the Week column.  In order to get a picture to accompany the news column, I sent out an email to MG's to keep their eye out and send me pictures if ones were spotted.  Folks came through beautifully, with these pictures from three sources - Bob Haffly through MG trainee Judy Scriptunas, Laurie Collins, and Mike Kusko. 

Laurie Collins Picture 1 from Fannettsburg

The Farmers Almanac runs down the history of the Wooly Bear as another peerless prognosticator of winter weather.


Laurie Collins Picture 2 from Fannettsburg

Supposedly, the width of the orange stripe predicts the severity of the on-coming winter.  The wider the stripe, the milder the winter.


Laurie Collins Picture 3 from Fannettsburg

Fannetsburg is predicting a mild winter.


Bob Haffly - Judy Scriptunas from Amberson

Amberson is predicting a severe winter (except this is the wrong species)
 

Bob Haffly Judy Scriptunas - from Amberson

Another wrong species, but sure would be nice if the winter is that mild.


Bob Haffly Judy Scriptunas - Amberson

Seems to comport with the Fannetsburg forecast.


Mike Kusko - Chambersburg

The Chambersburg area says really mild, too.
 

Mike Kusko - Chambersburg

Like Groundhog Day, there are several festivals throughout the country, celebrating the Wooly Worm:  Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Ohio. 

Not to be a spoilsport or anything, but MGs are supposed to link to the science of it all, so here are Extension Fact Sheets on the subject from Michigan State University and the University of Illinois.