One thing leads to another and then WOW!

15 years ago

My favourite annuals are Tagetes Marigolds which I winter sow every year. This year I discovered they do great in containers and I have a huge pot of them on our deck.

Add to that my love for butterflies and in winter sowing Asclepias, last year I began to raise the beauties.

This year I work 6am to 2pm, and most times, that's when the Monarchs eclose (come out of their chrysalis). After a bit of time given to them to dry their wings, they have to be released, so my daughter has been doing this for me if need be until I get home when I take over.

Here's a photo of the one she released today on the Tagetes. :O) Too sweet! Got to love it when things come together like this.

By the way, it's a boy!!

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Comments (13)

PVick
15 years ago
What a GLORIOUS shot!

(How do you tell the boys from the girls?)

PV
etravia
15 years ago
So beautiful! They are magical little creatures!
Maggie
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floodthelast
15 years ago
I just tried jaguar marigolds this year and really liked them. I can't wait to plant more next year. They look like the tagetes with a little red near the center of the petals.
northerner_on
15 years ago
What a lovely shot. The monarch looks so 'new', and the colour of those marigolds is stunning!! I like to have marigolds around my veggie beds to keep the squirrels away. Last year I bought some, saved the seeds, but germination failed. Maybe I should try to WS these this year. I find I don't get out to nurseries since I discovered winter sowing and I don't miss it one bit.
kqcrna
15 years ago
So pretty, the young butterfly still so perfect.

Karen
mo_girl
15 years ago
Wow, gorgeous pic! Such a pretty butterfly and accented so beautifully with those bright marigolds.

I decided to grow marigolds in my veggie garden, not expecting to like them otherwise. However, I really like them, and ended up putting several summer sown seedlings in my border. I don't have any that are that bright shade of yellow though ... I'll have to keep my eye out for Marigold Tagete seeds. Do you remember what seed company you purchased this variety?
tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author
15 years ago
PV,

The following is a photo take in our gardens a few years back before I started rearing them. Notice the spot on the lower wing next to the tail. That's a male. Females don't have this spot.

{{gwi:397720}}

floodthelast, northerner, and mo girl,

I don't grow any other kind since most times we get foggy wet spells here and the big pom-pom flowered ones rot. These are the orange ones and there are yellow ones. Bought seeds a few years ago and haven't purchased any since. Hopefully this year I'll get an abundance of seeds and place them on my exchange page. :O) I can't remember when I winter sowed these, but will tell you that I have a tendency to let them grow a bit before putting them out. The slugs love every king of Marigold in these parts.

The place where I got the seeds from is Veseys in Prince Edward Island, Canada. I get a few seeds and plants from them nearly every year.

Thanks for the compliments everyone. I'll pass them on. :O)

Here is a link that might be useful: Vesey's Tagetes.
patrushka
15 years ago
Gorgeous pic! I love the Tagetes. We had two cats on our milkweed but they seem to have vanished.

I did marigolds to fill up the area along the street where the snow plow usually piles the snow. They are doing very well in the gravely soil there. I'll be doing them again and will try a few varieties including Tagetes.
drippy
15 years ago
Tiffy, you continue to take my breath away with your posts. Once I am settled, I would love to talk to you about how you did this. I'm hoping asclepias will grow better for me there - I must be the only person in MA who can't get it to thrive (germinates via WS just fine) in my garden. But, as he said about the guitar in Wayne's World, "it WILL be mine!"

Congratulations on your awesome success!
tiffy_z5_6_can
Original Author
15 years ago
Patrushka,
When the cats are ready to make their chrysalis, they do venture from the plant to do so. Hopefully they made it and will grace your gardens with their beauty.

Drippy,
For the first year I find it takes a while for the Asclepias to emerge from the gardens, but this year my plants grew quite well since they were starting to be established. I'm sure you'll have great success with them in the Carolinas. You'll have to try the Swallowtails as well. I see some awesome photos of them on the Butterfly Forum coming from that area.

I will be more than happy to enable you in this new venture. :O)
patrushka
15 years ago
Thank you Tiffy, I did not know that. The Monarch that I had the pleasure of observing from cat to butterfly a few years ago did make it's chrysalis on the milkweed. I'm glad to know that just because they disappear it does not always mean that something bad happened to them.

Pat
agirlsgirl
15 years ago
Wonderful! The pics are great! I am waiting for my cat to eclose than I will be posting pics! :) I started with 4,one remains. I had no idea I would be having this adventure with the Monarchs this year,I have plans for next year though! I cant wait to share! Thanks Nicole! :)
floodthelast
15 years ago
The jaguars look a lot like the tagetes but have a red bit near the center. They are not pom poms. I'll have to get a pic to share with you. I had never grown a single petal variety before and really loved them. Now it seems I have to try the tagetes too.