Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Egg-Static!! Monarchs!!

We preempt this blog to bring you a breaking announcement. A very attractive and talented gardener, who also writes incredibly well, just saw his first monarchs--yes, plural--of the year. Both female. One very busy tasting all kinds of plants with her feet, placing eggs on many a milkweed. In three days we'll have caterpillars! Earliest I've ever seen the butterflies here.  PLANT MILKWEED. Asclepias incarnata (swamp) is my choice for non-invasive tendencies and sheer butterfly magnetism.

Nearly brought tears to my eyes. I'm such a geek.

10 comments:

greggo said...

Saw my first two days ago. It was fighting off the other butteflies for nectar, then it was gone. It was a male.

Mary Gray said...

Oooooh, I just planted two more A. incarnata last week...here's hoping I get some monarch visitors, too, and that my plants don't get chewed down to nothing by aphids again this year!

Kylee Baumle said...

Benjamin, I absolutely share your enthusiasm for these little wonders of nature! I'll have tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat whenever the first one shows up here, too. I totally understand your geekness. We're kindred spirits in that way. SO excited for you!!!! LOVE the photo! I'm watching for them here.

Gaia Gardener: said...

I've been seeing monarchs here for several weeks, but I haven't seen any laying eggs yet...nor have I found any eggs on my milkweed. I'll keep looking!

Benjamin Vogt said...

G--Male? Bummer. Still, good to see them!
MG--My aphids are around about a week until lady bugs and others get to them. Each year the aphids can't hold out as long as the one before.
KB--You should see them any day! Right???
GG--Keep looking! They have to be out there. I mean, the truth is out there, Mulder.

Kylee Baumle said...

Yes, any day now. They've been spotted in Troy, Ohio, which is only a little more than an hour south of us, so I'm keeping my eyes open for them!

Ginny said...

I have swamp milkweed but haven't seen a Monarch yet . When I do see one, I'll be dancing a celebration dance.

Benjamin Vogt said...

Ginny--tape that dance for us?

kirstallcreatures said...

How wonderful! Here in Leeds, UK we've had a few weeks of colder weather and nonstop rain for a couple of days which has halted any significant butterfly activity. So its nice to get onto the blogs & share in the butterfly sightings of others, especially such beautiful butterflies. Enjoy the season ahead. Linda

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I haven't seen any since my first sighting. I guess I haven't been out as much, plus, it's been raining a lot. I won't complain about that, though.