Garden

[KG60]

Don't forget to plant some milkweed for our fluttering friends this Spring. Pollinator  plants are great, but milkweed is key. 

[Lilysmom1]

@KG60 Agreed.  Last year where I live there were very few monarchs.

[Carmie]

At the lake where we hang out all summer, the butterflies there are amazing.  We often see them by the hundreds just sitting on the ground and appearing to be not moving.  

I have never seen so many at one time and in the same place.  I think this is called mud-puddling.

I enjoy watching them, although my 21 year old granddaughter is scared to death of them.  You would think they were wasps or something.

Milkweed sap is toxic to animals and people if consumed.  Be careful where you plant it and instruct children not to handle it.

Milkweed is 100% necessary for the survival of Monarch butterflies.

[cheriere]

When I was teaching, we were in a Monarch tagging program with Mexico.  The kids really looked forward to this every year.😃💝

[SaveTheTurtles]

I've noticed there are way fewer monarchs than when I was young. They are so beautiful and important.

[cheriere]

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@SaveTheTurtles wrote:

I've noticed there are way fewer monarchs than when I was young. They are so beautiful and important.

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You're exactly right.  Unfortunately, there are a lot less than in decades past.  In fact, the monarchs are in danger.  I hope things change.😔💝

[Kabella]

@Lilysmom1  I love gardening & your garden is spectacular. Its obvious  your heart is into it. As far as Monarchs, here in Fl. we got much more monarchs last year & this yr. they arrived earlier than usual. I could not keep up with all the monarch caterpillers eating the milkweed up & I had 8 large plants. So I saved the seeds & bought some seed trays. Kept plastic containers & now they are almost full grown. So, when the Milkweed is eaten I will dig it up, plant the ones I have grown & cut back a bit of the eaten ones which will grow & i will  repeat the process. Actually I have scattered seeds in a wooded area of my yard & they are popping up! Some of the seeds when opened fly around & they pop up wherever lol!

[Lilysmom1]

@Kabella I hope we see more this year.  Our garden centres are opening up now.  I must look for more and harvest the seeds from those I have.  

[Kabella]

@Lilysmom1 You may already know this particular method when harvesting seeds. First I gather the seeds then soak them in water for a few hours. Then I gather the damp seeds & lay them on a damp paper towel & put them in a sip lock bag & refrigerate for a few wks. 

I used Espoma Organic seed starting soil mix because it doesn't contain any chemicals. When they spout growth then I use Espoma Organic Potting Soil mix in the plastic pots that I save...

Some of my milkweed is Tropical & I also have Native Swamp Milkweed which does well in Fl.

                                                    Hope you get lots of Monarchs & other beautiful butterflies this season!

[Kabella]

I have started to follow Brenda Sattler on youtube who raises butterflies & is well known for her butterfly garden knowledge. There is a video some of you might like called: Nature in the Hills>Brenda's Butterfly Habitate. Its a ten year old video but informative. She is older now so hasn't been posting but I enjoyed alot of her video's especially when she took a trip to Mexico where they migrate for the winter ETA: So many other informative video's from others who butterfly garden.

Another older video documentary some may like is:Ten Comandments of Butterfly Gardening on YT.