Monarch Butterflies
There were afternoons in late September and early October when five or six Monarch butterflies would be in my small front yard plus about the same number of them in the back yard, also a small lot.
The Monarchs appeared only for a week or two. They were migrating south ahead of the cold.
Monarchs love the Tithonia (Mexican Sunflowers) as much as the Tiger Swallowtails and other butterflies do. I suspect the Tithonia is major source of food for Monarch butterflies along their Mexican migration route.
I grow Tithonia in Georgia because climactic zones are moving northward.
Swamp Sunflowers
Swamp Sunflowers bloom late in the season, but they grow in thick stands of many flowers that are an explosion of color. They are an important source of nectar and pollen once most other flowers have bloomed.
The Georgia Aster
The Georgia Aster spreads after wildfires clear out the competition. They are also devoured by rabbits and deer. I have mine planted inside cages of goat wire to keep rabbits off them.
Large Garden Spiders
I love these large harmless spiders.
This year, there were some Yellow Garden Spiders. There were also some Asian Joro Spiders. The two species have the same niche of large garden web spinners.
The previous three years were dominated by Golden Orb Spiders, which have higher and much larger webs.