Oh, those first few days of sweater weather have descended and gardeners are already lamenting the end of the growing season.  Yes, it's the coolest start to a September in 17 years, according to meteorological guru Tom Skilling, but that doesn't mean it's time to quit gardening or to stop exploring all the things that are wonderful about our gardens.  There's plenty to do and enjoy. Right now, ruby-throated hummingbirds are migrating south from as far as Canada.  They're hungry and looking for nectar and insects in local gardens.  They'll be zipping through—perhaps staying for several days if you have the right habitat—and heading hundreds of miles south for winter.  You'll find them in droves at the stunning and colorful hummingbird/butterfly border outside the Joliet Park District’s Birdhaven Greenhouse at 227 Gougar Road in Joliet.  Call (815) 741-7278 for more info. 

And, watch for monarch butterflies (and many others) on zinnias, butterfly bushes, rudbeckia and verbena. These lovely winged wonders have not been as plentiful as swallowtails this year, which seem to be everywhere. Understanding the habitat needs of birds and butterflies can help you decide what to plant and where to plant it. These photos, taken by nature photographer Ellen Hodges in our garden recently, show the swallowtail caterpillar chowing down on a fennel leaf and the adult butterfly on a purple coneflower. The caterpillar is no more than 1/4 inch and molts several times as it grows.  You can attract these incredible beauties with host plants for the butterfly’s eggs—rue, fennel and parsley are just a few.  And, there are the nectar plants, such as phlox, verbena, bottlebrush buckeye, butterfly weed and liatris for the butterflies.

You can learn more about designing your garden to attract butterflies and hummingbirds and how to grow plants using organic methods at two upcoming classes on Saturday, September 17 at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle:

Create a Hummingbird or Butterfly Garden taught by Chicagoland Gardening contributor Nina Koziol. 10 a.m.-noon. Come away with design ideas and plant combinations to try at home. $28. Limit 20. 

Organic Gardening De-Mystified: Fall, taught by Vicki Nowicki of Let’s Grow Vegetables. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Learn about getting the most out of the fall garden, harvesting, cooking, preserving and preparing options for extending the growing season. Recommended Text: " The Gardener’s A to Z Guide to Growing Organic Food" by Tanya Denckla. $35. Limit 18. Info & registration: 630-719-2468.

— Nina Koziol

www.thisgardencooks.com