When I was first gifted swamp milkweed, I wasn't sure where to put it. I garden without irrigation, so I decided to try it in a large, half-barrel pot in partial shade. To my surprise, the plant actually thrived, and it had more monarch caterpillars on it than all my other milkweeds combined. Swamp milkweed ...
Read More | Wildlife Gardening JournalWe all love butterflies, and this is the time of the year to plan a garden just for them. It’s always good to incorporate flowers into the landscape, even into a vegetable garden. But it’s even more enjoyable to create a special butterfly garden to sit and watch these delightful insects. Who are our common ...
Read More | Pest PatrolOn March 5th, 2018, the Mexican government released their annual report on wintering monarch butterflies. Every year, thousands of monarchs migrate to a small area of protected fir forests near Mexico City. While some years are better than others, the overall trend since the late 1990s has been downward in butterfly numbers. Unfortunately, however, this ...
Read More | Wildlife Gardening JournalEvery once in a while, in the garden, I feel a blessing and witness a miracle. So it was a few weeks ago when I found a Monarch butterfly caterpillar feeding on milkweed plants. I hadn’t found any caterpillars last year and had just about given up on finding any this year. I felt like ...
Read More | Perennials ForeverGenerations of North American school children, including me, learned about metamorphosis watching Monarchs transform from caterpillars into butterflies. They are, without question, one of the most beloved and well-recognized butterflies. I have one very vivid memory of Monarchs outside the classroom: Sitting on my grandmother's porch one fall afternoon, I watched hundreds of Monarchs flying ...
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