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.
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| Nearly brought tears to my eyes. I'm such a geek. |
Saw my first two days ago. It was fighting off the other butteflies for nectar, then it was gone. It was a male.
ReplyDeleteOooooh, 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!
ReplyDeleteBenjamin, 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.
ReplyDeleteI'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!
ReplyDeleteG--Male? Bummer. Still, good to see them!
ReplyDeleteMG--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.
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!
ReplyDeleteI have swamp milkweed but haven't seen a Monarch yet . When I do see one, I'll be dancing a celebration dance.
ReplyDeleteGinny--tape that dance for us?
ReplyDeleteHow 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
ReplyDeleteI 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.
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