I just don't have enough! Photos.

15 years ago

Yep, don't have enough Asclepias! There will be about 20 new ones winter sown from this past winter going in the gardens soon (Incarnata pinks and whites and Syriaca), and I have 12 plants from past winter sowings(Incarnata and Tuberosa) presently in the gardens. The mature plants are nurturing about 20+ Monarch caterpillars right now and the female adult Monarchs just keep coming to lay more eggs.

Here's one yesterday with a friend IDed as a Great Spangled Fritillary. The Fritillaries were loving this plant so much they made taking pictures a piece of cake!

Here's the cats!

{{gwi:413314}}

My little Spangled friend again.

{{gwi:413315}}

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (17)

bakemom_gw
15 years ago
Me too. I want more Asclepias. It summer sows so well for me too. I love your pictures. Sweet little cat.
PVick
15 years ago
Pretty! Enjoying your butterflies. None have visited me this year at all.

PV
Related Discussions
Don't have enough Newspapers BUT what about
Q
Comments (6)
YUP, they're paper bags about 3 thickness of regular grocery paper bags. I put it all down today and now I'm putting mulch on top. If it saves me a month of work, it will be worth it! I figure as we add more mulch, the weeds will be easier to pull and maybe not as many. Keeping my fingers crossed! Thanks ~Claire
...See More
I don't think I bought enough!
Q
Comments (10)
Here you go, Mara! Campbell's Cheesy Chicken & Rice Prep: 5 min. Bake: 45 min. 1 Can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Chicken Soup 1 1/3 c. water 3/4 c. uncooked long grain white rice 2 c. fresh or frozen vegetables 1/2 t. onion powder 4 Skinless,boneless chicken breast halves 1/2 c. reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese. 1. Stir soup, water, rice, vegetables, and onion powder in 12" x 8" shallow baking dish. 2. Top wit chicken. Season chicken as desired. Cover. 3. Bake at 375Â° F. for 45 min. or until done. Top with cheese. Makes 4 servings. I made some wild rice and added that to it in addition to everything else. It was really good. I need to remember to make it in two foil pans next time. It's too much for just the two of us. DS is rarely home for dinner. We'll probably have the left overs tomorrow night, as I will be gone all day. We had meatloaf tonight! With mashed potatoes and gravy, and some wild rice mixed with green beans, salt & pepper. No problems with the tooth. DH is doing fine. By the time I had dinner ready, he was no longer numb. Tami
...See More
don't have enough cabinet space!!
Q
Comments (16)
It sounds like what you really want to do is expand back out into the family room part. This is not a bad idea. How successful this is decorwise may depend on how "family room" looking the family room part is. If it's fairly neutral flooring, couches, a TV, and the transition between the spaces is loosely delineated, then it could work. If it is an awesome family cave, with deep-pile carpeting, low lighting for the home theater, sink-in couches, sports memorabilia and video game equipment all over, then plunking a kitchen table in the middle of the room is going to be more of a challenge, obviously. I would start by keeping in the kitchen only things you're going to use that week -- appliances, platters etc. you use left often can be stored outside the kitchen, including in places like the family room. The same goes with food, if you have a safe place to keep it (a garage, basement or futher-off pantry or a pantry cabinet). Fill the sugar bowl -- keep the 5-pound bag outside the kitchen. Same works with the pasta jar, the jam pot, the tea caddy etc. Refill once a week or as needed. Also consider that, with some styles, building one or more shelves ACROSS a window can be a design and storage choice. It's not for everyone, but I throw it out there for you. I have a small kitchen, and a very small house, and these things work for me.
...See More
struggling with wondering if I just don't have the skills
Q
Comments (32)
Like others have posted here, I think it's not about skills - it's about finding enjoyment in your yard amidst the trials of your circumstances. On another thread, we've all been posting about the hardest thing about growing roses in our regions and everyone has reasons outside of their control about why the roses aren't performing to our expectations. Sometimes the only response is to temper our expectations of the roses and ourselves. You're not in charge of the heat of your climate, so it's not something dependent on your skills. If your roses are taking a break, you can consider this an opportunity for a break for yourself. I sympathize because I log in here to GW roses and look at everyone's gorgeous roses and set my vision of what I want to see from my roses from that. However we all post the photos when our roses are looking their best unless we're trying to resolve a particular problem. Nobody's roses always looks their best - heck, I've logged into threads I started with photos of my own roses and sigh because I wish my roses looked that good. In my best rose flush ever a few years ago, I posted photos a month later of how virtually nothing was blooming anywhere that season, more than usual, because all the roses that bloomed at the same time were also resting at the same time. So I have to temper my expectations - if I want constant bloom distributed among the roses, it won't be profuse simultaneous bloom at any given time. If I get a flush like you had, there'll be a substantial break for a while. That's not my "fault", it's just how roses work for the most part. Hang in there and keep looking for a balance in your garden and perspectives. I plant other perennials and annuals that fill the gaps in roses so I can have color year-round, but even then it's not profusion, just enough to feed the soul in between rose joys. If our roses bloomed fantastically all the time, we'd probably take them for granted (like people in some climates get too used to sunny mild temperatures year round). Part of the fun of rose growing is the potential for being surprised, and in order to be surprised there needs to be a pause of expectation. That's where you are now, so breathe and enjoy the "what if" that's down the road. Cynthia
...See More
tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author
15 years ago
Bakemom,

Not sure if you can see them, but there's actually three cats in the photo.

I will be summer sowing more in the next few days since I found more seeds. I also noticed more germination in a container the other day from a February sowing. Can you see more lawn disappearing?? :O) I can!!
mnwsgal
15 years ago
Beautiful butterflies and hurrah for the cats. You have inspired me to summer sow some asclepia. No more summer vacation this year so the summer sowing begins.
tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author
15 years ago
PV,

I usually bring the cats in to raise but have some uncertainties in life right now so I'll wait for the mid-August brood and when they eclose in the house, before bringing them outside, I'll show them pictures you've posted so they'll know where to visit on their way south. :O) It will give me something to do with them while they dry their wings (which they have to do before they fly).

mnswgal,

They are a treat! You'll be rewarded many times over. Just saw the first American Painted Lady butterfly of the season and she like the Achillea next to the Asclepias. Sweet!
wendy2shoes
15 years ago
I can't get a snap of the monarchs..they move around too fast! However, I got a shot of these three guys, and I haven't a clue what they are. (If they were birds, I'd have more luck).
{{gwi:413316}}
{{gwi:413318}}
{{gwi:413319}}
lgslgs
15 years ago
Oh gee thanks, Tiffy!

All this talk about summer sowing is too hard to resist. It all your fault that I had to sow more seeds today. :)

Lynda
tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author
15 years ago
Wendy,

Not sure, but the first could be a Mourning Cloak. Don't know the second one but the third is an Amarican Painted Lady. Just saw my first APL a few minutes ago. I'm surprised you got a picture since mine are so shy and see me coming and take off. :O)

If you see a Monarch around your Asclepias, those are the ones to take photos of as they are most likely females. The males will flutter about more, not caring where they feed. Females generally stay around the Asclepias when laying eggs which they are doing at this time of year.

Great shots! Can't believe your Buddleias are in such full bloom. Mine are just starting to set their buds.

Lynda,
You are welcome. LOL! I am always ready to enable members of a great forum who have enabled me many times in the past!
gnomey
15 years ago
I absolutely have to have more Asclepias as well. I just have the orange ones, which are wonderful but I need so many more. I have just sown Cinderella and Gay Butterflies and they are growing so hopefully next year I can welcome more butterflies.
northforker
15 years ago
These fantastic photos just sent me to the seed box...hmmmm, do I have any Asclepia in here? YES- one package of "incannata" from trade. I will sow it tomorrow if this kind is perennial when I look it up. I had one called brightwings last year that was great but is an annual.
proudgm_03
15 years ago
Beautiful photos! Gotta love anything that attracts butterflies.
northerner_on
15 years ago
How lucky you are Tiffy. I first planted incarnata last year and I had Monarch's in droves. Also had lots of hummers. So far this year, I've seen only 4 Monarchs and no hummers. I've been looking for caterpillers, too but none to be seen this year. I still have tuberosa and curassivica plants in containers to be planted out soon. Hope things will be better next year. It's nice that you get some variety in butterflies - they make beautiful photos.
lynnencfan
15 years ago
OK OK OK - now you'll have gone and done it - I just got new seeds (Gay Butterflies) from TM 99cent sale and will be sowing some too. I have the orange but want the other colors.

Beautiful pictures Tiffy - I just love watching them flitter from flower to flower - Thanks for sharing them

~~~now off to get some potting soil, tags, containers and wondering how WSing became a year round venture~~~

Lynne
shasta_2008
15 years ago
Tiffy, I love the Asclepias so much that I bought some seeds on ebay. Do you think if I planted them now they would bloom this summer? Are they annual or perennial?
tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author
15 years ago
Shasta,

The type called Curassavica is annual, but all others are perennial and would not bloom this year. Even then, it would give the plants a head start if you sowed them now and they germinated.

Just remember that if something is eating the leaves, 99% of the time it is a Monarch caterpillar since the plant is toxic to other creatures. Right now I have about 20 'cats' feeding on two plants and they are getting big - about 2.5 inches long - so they are eating a lot. That's OK. I know what will come of them and it pleases me. :O)
shasta_2008
15 years ago
Thanks for the heads up! These are a must have!
etravia
15 years ago
Wow! Great pictures! I have "1" swamp milkweed and it's had 9 babies on it!!! These pupated yesterday, one is pupating "as we speak"! 5 are still babes.

{{gwi:413320}}

I started more plants in May and they sprouted within a week and grew like weeds! Butterfly weeds that is! I'm going to start some more this weekend!
Maggie

I just don't have enough! Photos.

Comments (17)

bakemom_gw

PVick

Related Discussions

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author

mnwsgal

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author

wendy2shoes

lgslgs

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author

gnomey

northforker

proudgm_03

northerner_on

lynnencfan

shasta_2008

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author

shasta_2008

etravia

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

I just don't have enough! Photos.

Comments (17)

Related Discussions

tiffy_z5_6_canOriginal Author

tiffy_z5_6_canOriginal Author

tiffy_z5_6_canOriginal Author

tiffy_z5_6_canOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author

tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author