Monarch Firsts (for Me)

Our property has hosted monarchs before.  I recall my first two larvae after putting in butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) probably ten years ago.  After a few years of seeing them, they seemingly disappeared from our yard for about three years (while their populations had really plummeted).  After a bit of a rebound, I have seen them in the yard again.

However, this is the first year that I not only got some photos of them in flight, I also witnessed a female laying an egg--twice (on two separate days).  :)  I found it very satisfying.

In addition, the adults used to seem like rare visitors, but this year, over the past two or three weeks, I seem to see one in our yard each day I go out!  Cupplant has proven itself a great favorite with not only the monarchs, but other butterflies and smaller pollinators. 

The milkweed that I winter sowed (and, later, posted about planting out in the meadow) are pictured here, in pots with the monarch making good use of them.

Comparison

After posting about potting up my seedlings, I decided to do a comparison of those I put in the ground and those I had left overcrowded (and recently potted up from the original container).

I am hoping this is swamp milkweed, but I will be happy if it is common milkweed--I want both (but I don't have swamp milkweed in the yard yet--I really have to do a better job of labeling).

Getting them in the ground sooner, or direct sowing should be my goal--but having robust potted plants to add as needed is great, too.  I am hoping potting them up will give me good results.  I need to prepare more ground for planting

More Milkweed

Yesterday, I planted three pots of milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) into the meadow. These plants are the ones I rescued from a friend's vegetable garden. They were destined for the compost heap. (Thanks Beth and Lori.) After digging them up, I cut them back and potted them up keeping them watered. To these pots, I added some of the seedling wildflowers that I planted late last winter.

The milkweeds had long since recovered and were sending up new shoots. After finally getting some rain, I decided I could plant them in the meadow. I watered them in yesterday, and I'm happy to see it rained overnight and is overcast today--great for the newly planted milkweeds.

One of the milkweeds was planted near the old fence with winter in mind; the dried seedpods, especially covered with snow, should make an excellent picture with the lichens-covered fence. The other two are planted at the base of the hillside along the front road. There are power lines above so, I've decided to create more of a meadow there with some shorter shrubs and trees that will grow no higher than 12-15ft. so as not to interfere with the power lines.



Asclepias syriaca