Friday, July 24, 2015

Finding Beauty

By itself, Wendys Wish Salvia is not the most impressive plant.  It has a somewhat sprawling, spindly growth pattern with scattered flowers that droop wearily instead of stretching upward with perky optimism.

By itself, the Clouded Skipper is not the most impressive butterfly.  Its size is small.  Its color dark.  It lacks an array of fanciful markings that distinguish many of its fluttering brethren.

But put them together and beauty emerges! Colors dazzle! A composition of simple elegance erases any sense of plainess. 

Nature proves, once again, that precious moments need not be showy and how if you take the time (make the time!) to look closely, beauty can even be found in every species. 




Salvia Wendy's Wish
(the following information is from www.floridafriendlyplants.com)

'Wendy's Wish' was discovered in the garden of Wendy Smith, a Salvia hobbyist, in Victoria, Australia in 2005. It is a patented plant with a portion of the proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish foundation. Its exact parentage is unknown but Salvia buchananii, Salvia chiapensis, and Salvia `Purple Majesty' were all it the neighborhood and are likely suspects. Wendy's Wish has upright growth to 48 inches with dark geen leaves and lipstick flowers all year. It is a hummingbird and butterfly magnet. Plant in full sun to partial shaded gardens.

Clouded Skipper
(the following information is from wikipedia)

The Clouded Skipper is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in the United States from Georgia west to Texas, south to Florida, and south through Mexico and Central America to Venezuela and Colombia. The wingspan is 32–45 mm. Wikipedia

Scientific name: Lerema accius
Higher classification: Lerema  

2 comments:

  1. I love Wendy's Wish! And so do the hummingbirds.Every morning,I see them all over mine.The only problem I have is they grow so fast and so big,I'm always cutting them back.

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    1. I planted it to attract butterflies and hummers and it has. It definitely lives up to its reputation for attracting wildlife but, at least in my garden, it grows in a somewhat spindly, sprawly manner. I have to trim it back too and maybe if I did that more often it would become less spindly. From all the raves i heard about it, I suppose I expected it to be more spectacular looking as well as being a plant that draws wildlife. Although I sure do LOVE the color of the blooms!

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