As I’ve mentioned before, I’m working on saving seeds from this year’s garden for the following seasons. Right now the race is on to collect dill seeds before the swallowtail caterpillars get them all. The vase is a small ceramic piece that I haven’t fired yet but I really like and will probably produce more of.
I do love swallowtails and usually do plant extra dill to make sure I have a good population, but I’ve never worked on saving seeds before and am realizing that the caterpillars may eat them all before I have a chance to save some.
The caterpillars are more than ready to show their ire at me taking their food. As a kid I always got a big kick out of watching them show their horns whenever we poked them. I now know they are called scent horns or osmeterium and will release a weird citrus scented pheremone into the air to ward off predators.
I love the wildlife that is in my garden and will never cease to be amazed by it. The little kid in me that loved to poke the caterpillars to see their horns has been replaced by an adult that loves to poke the caterpillars to see their horns and then do research about and learn their scientific name.
