Pam and Susan, You both are making me blush. ;-) Seriously, thanks for saying such nice things. It made my day. I've just always believed in helping people, and of course I'm trying my best to help the butterflies. Pam, I don't know what to tell you about the V. bonariensis. Have you tried wintersowing? I guess when I planted mine several years ago, I hadn't been aware about it being hard to germinate. Actually, when I sowed my seeds, that was before I found out about wintersowing and I guess I sowed the seeds just like I had been sowing all my other seeds. I think I merely sowed them in potting soil in late winter and the plants came up. Since they are small seeds, I wouldn't plant them very deep, maybe just press them into the soil. I'd try various ways and see which works. I sure hope that you can get some to germinate because the butterflies sure do love those plants. Susan, Thank you and I think we're lucky to have you too. I've been reading here lately more than I've been typing. I do really enjoy seeing what other people are doing in their gardens, and I keep up with what you're doing. I remember your generosity to me and if there's anything I can do for you, I'd do whatever I can to help you. :-) I just looked at my profile because I didn't know exactly how long it has been since I joined here. It was in August of 2006. I started my butterfly garden the previous summer and it included several swamp milkweed plants that I had bought at a local nursery. I didn't get Monarchs that first year, maybe because it was so late in the summer when I got the garden underway, but I was thrilled in 2006 when I found some cats on the milkweed plants. I don't remember exactly when I first found the forum (reading but not yet posting). I guess I read enough here to pique my curiosity and to become interested enough to start a butterfly garden but didn't post right away. I suppose I felt an urgent need to post when I didn't know what I was doing when I found the first Monarch cat but didn't know the details of raising one. So I guess you could say that when I first found the forum I probably read just enough to become dangerous. lol Thank goodness that there are such nice people here like you, MissSherry, CalSherry/aka tdogmom, and others who didn't discourage my questions or I really would have felt beside myself. I suspect I'm not the only one who starts into a project only to feel like she got in over her head. Well, I think when I first started planting for the butterflies I didn't really have any intentions of raising caterpillars; however, then once I found some I felt the need to protect them. All of a sudden it became urgent to me that I not let anything get to the cats. If I had been told by people that I should go read first, I probably wouldn't have been able to save those first cats because till I had read enough to feel like I knew what I was doing, I'm sure it would have been too late for them and they'd have perished. Because of the generosity of you and others I've learned a lot and raised many cats over the past 4 years and have been trying to pay it forward ever since. Thanks so much for opening up another world for me and enabling me to help another part of nature, which I love so much (I've been into birding for 20+ years and have online birding friends too). I think my butterflying and birding friends are some of the nicest people that I've ever met. I really did get to meet many birding friends in person about 5 yr. ago when we were at a get-together in TN, but that's a whole other story. Yes, that would be too cool to celebrate people's birthdays and join dates. I noticed that your birthday is just 4 days before my husband's. Cathy

Mike, I think your name is the last one I'll take because I have almost a dozen people ahead of you and I'm hoping my supply holds out. I'll be embarrassed if I end up short. My problem is that some plants got huge and some aren't huge but a decent size. Some plants break apart naturally when I take them out of the ground, and that gave me the idea to separate them more to make more plants. Otherwise, I'd only be able to fit 2 or 3 plants in a box. Anyway, I don't think I'd have more plants than would fit in a medium or large postage box, and even then I hope I'll have some for you. Maybe you'd like to wait until I know for sure before you send anything. I was going to post last evening that the plants were all (because right now it's iffy), but then something came up and I didn't get a chance. Thanks. Cathy Cathy

I would love some. I can't get you a stamp but can put postage in! With a return envelope. SCG

Hi Mary, Hope this finds you doing well and that you had a very good growing season. These seeds did really well. They have been in flower for the past three months. I've never had a milkweed bloom so much. The first batch never did germinate. I have had tons of insect visits during this time but only two small pods that have not really developed much. I had three Monarch caterpillars on the plants and they pretty much stripped(ate) most of the foliage but the plants put out more leaves after the caterpillars molted.. I still have them in a 12" pot but will probably divide them once they stop flowering and plant them in the garden. I was wondering how your seed production has been this year? I would like to get a bunch of seed from somewhere to grow and distribute to all the folks here in my area who are into this like you and I. Any chance you might have some to share again or know someone who does and/or somewhere I can purchase some. Thanks for any help. Regards, Mark