Gray Hairstreak butterfly – Strymon melinus

Gray Hairstreak butterfly ( Strymon melinus ): perched on Ashyleaf buckwheat. July is a great month for butterflies, with many species at th...

Habitat Gardening: Dreams and Realistic Expectations

Habitat gardens provide for butterflies and other creatures Habitat gardening is becoming popular in the United States and elsewhere.   Ther...

Pollinator Habitat: Does One Small Garden Matter?

Mother Nature's Backyard provides pollinator and bird habitat. Summer is our peak insect season in Southern California.   And 2017 is a ...

Mourning Cloak Butterfly – Nymphalis antiopa

Mourning Cloak butterfly ( Nymphalis antiopa ): Mother Nature's Backyard   For the past two summers, the numbers and species of butterfl...