Let's Remember the Monarchs

By SCurtis
March 27, 2015

Let's all plant a butterfly garden this year to help the butterflies and bees.

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Mar 27, 2015 8:23 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I have plans (and a lot of seeds) for starting a new flower bed specifically with butterflies in mind... we have a good bit of milkweed that grows wild here; in fact, after checking the link to Everwilde that Melanie shared, I see quite a few of the types are native up here in the Michigan UP -- I was only aware of common milkweed and swamp milkweed. A few years ago I planted some of the common milkweed in my perennial flower bed that has mainly daffodils, coneflowers, daylilies, iris, and baptisia; might have been a bit of a mistake, but the butterflies were happy and for a couple of years I had LOTS of Monarchs and their cats; really fun to see literally hundreds of the Monarchs in my yard in the fall, grouping up and then gradually drifting up and over the trees and heading south... Unfortunately, though, for the past two years there have been hardly any of them around, I believe because the winters have been so extended. I'm hoping this year will be better again!

We have had a lot of the "Milkweed Tussock Moth" caterpillars -- which seem to come in large numbers and really strip the plants!
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
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Mar 27, 2015 9:54 AM CST
Maryville, Tn (Zone 7a)
Composter Dog Lover Canning and food preservation Vegetable Grower Garden Ideas: Level 2
Glad you've been doing this Sandy! I've been trying to spread seed to a bunch of my neighbors, trying to get a bunch of people involved. Just like you, it has been hit or miss to whether or not I get lots of monarchs or not. I normally get a lot of other butterflies too so it's always nice to look at. Smiling
Have a black thumb except for vegetables and that's even a hit or miss
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Mar 27, 2015 11:08 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
And whether the butterflies show up or not, the flowers are just nice to look at! Smiling
“Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." ~ Albert Schweitzer
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