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Butterfly Garden

First Butterflies Seen in Chicago-Area Garden

16 years ago

I got to stay home from work today and spent half the day working on the garden. In the course of the day, I saw a red admiral, spring azure, and question mark (I think) butterflies. First time I ever saw question mark in my garden. So exciting -- spring is really here!

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Comments (5)

bernergrrl
16 years ago
That's awesome! QMa are ao beautiful; I only saw one that had "passed on" in my garden. Hoping to get caterpillars this year.
mcronin
16 years ago
Glad you got to enjoy your garden and your butterflies while getting a brief vacation. Just wait 'til retirement and all the fun you'll have.

Now that I'm retired, I wonder how my garden survived while I was working as a college professor!

mike
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I've had large numbers of cloudless sulphurs this year and I'm also in the heart of the TN valley. I thought they might have been gone, but today I probably have had half a dozen flitting around me while I was cleaning up the garden. I'm leaving the zinnias until a freeze gets them. There were a few other small butterflies that I haven't ID'd yet, and I saw a GF yesterday at the lake. The Monarchs apparently have migrated on to the south since you're seeing them down Mobile way now, jcalhoun. I haven't seen one for a couple of weeks.
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The butterflies have been scarce here too. The major excitement for me was the over-wintered caterpillars; they gave me something to do in the spring. Then the butterflies that come out in early spring were fun (lots of Tiger Swallowtails, some Red-Spotted Purples, White ADmirals, Pearly Crescentspots, etc). But later spring and early summer have been destitute of butterflies. We've had weather that's not friendly for butterflies, and it seems to go in such extended periods of time. I don't know how long a butterfly can hang out without nectaring when the weather is wet and cool. Like you, I also have all kinds of great nectar flowers just waiting for butterflies, but there have been very few takers. Hope the season gets better. The weather has been great for flowers here, but not for butterflies. We can take some refuge in knowing that out in the woods/gardens/fields all kinds of caterpillars may be growing and/or pupating, so perhaps it will be a great summer for butterflies.
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Aggie - most hops rhizomes (don't try from seed, it takes way too long to get a mature plant because they have to form rhizomes) are sold between March and May each year. The best places to buy from are beer companies that sell their rhizomes. However, I did get some rhizomes from both Pinetree Garden Seeds and Thyme Garden (the Golden hops, which is very pretty) this last year. You can check them out on the Internet. I know, I had to be patient all last year waiting until early spring to order mine. You might want to place your order in January or February, though, because they run out quickly. All those beer drinkers out there! LOL! You usually get a set of instructions with the rhizomes on how to plant, where to plant, and other cultivation information. The rhizomes are not very expensive. I paid about $2-3 per rhizome. Susan
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butterflymomok
16 years ago
Mike,

I have to second your statement about retirement. People ask me how I'm enjoying retirement, and I tell them I don't know how I ever had time to work! It's the best!

I also wonder how many BFs I missed 'cause I was at work!

Sandy
jasonkay
Original Author
16 years ago
Bernergrrl, the QM was very impressive. I'm 90% sure it was a QM -- I checked the BOMA site. The shape of the wings was really distinctive, and when it folded its wings it was completely camouflaged in the leaf litter on my flower bed.

mcronin and butterflymom, I definitely can appreciate the appeal of retirement. Unfortunately I've got at least 15 years to go. I often think I could happily work full time just tending my gardens (and my plot is a little over 1/4 acre).
susanlynne48
16 years ago
QMs have a very distinctive outline, hence the name "anglewings" which is also used as a general term for this and other species such as the Comma.

Boy, can I relate to the retirement. I raised butterflies while I was still working, but now I don't know how I did it. Of course, the number I raised while working was quite a bit lower than those I raise now. Since then I've expanded my butterfly garden, and virtually given up on "ornamental" gardening in lieu of host plants.

I love the QMs and raised a ton of them last year. They are easy and fun! Here I find the cats on elm tree saplings.

Susan

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?what to do with this little guy?

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