Went to Lizella, Georgia today, for our first visit to Nikki Taylor’s Dig and Design Nursery. After our 30 minute drive from North Macon, we pulled into her acres, and what did we find? Nikki has thousands, yes thousands of healthy, robust perennials for sale, all fairly priced. The selection was what you’re looking for: coneflowers, turtlehead, salivas (many), cardinal flower, agastaches, bronze fennel (to host Black Swallowtails), milkweeds, lantana (she has a variety that was swamped with butterflies, she agreed to make some of that beautiful lantana for us next year!) and more, much more. It’s the Best when a nursery owner is knowledgeable, schooled in her work, and generous with her time and pleased to answer your questions and more.

In flew a Variegated Fritillary ( Euptoieta claudia), it landing on a robust coneflower. I’ve not seen a Variegated this 2020 year, and it brought a big smile, for when they are fresh, as this one was, they are very, very easy on the eyes!

This Variegated fritillary butterfly was met at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland. You’ll see 100 Gulf Fritillaries for every one Variegated you’ll be lucky to see, so seeing one? Vundebar!

Jeff