I want to bump this up again so those who are interested in preserving this plant can add this year's growing information. I had a baby who bloomed this spring but no seed pods. The same with the wild A variegata I dug up three seasons ago. This year it put up four strong stalks and lots of flower heads but again, not one seed pod. I watched the flower heads closely and even though some flying insects crawled all over the flowers, there was no pollination. This particuliar milkweed appears to bloom the earliest of all the milkweeds I have. Maybe there aren't enough insects around this early to aid in the pollination. We had terrible high temps over a long period this summer and it was all I could do to keep the plants alive. Did anyone else have any luck getting seed pods of this plant? I also purchased three small A variegata plants from Pine Ridge Gardens this year (all MaryAnn would sell me as I suspect she was trying to make them available to more of her clients). I'm going to overwinter them in 1 gal nursery pots. I haven't decided if I'm going to try growing them in big planters on my deck next year (mostly high dappled shade) or plant them inground. Maybe I should try putting one in ground this fall and keeping two in the nursery pots over winter. What is the key to getting these plants to set seed pods? :-) ~Mary A baby A variegata - 1st blooming this spring of 2011 the wild transplanted A variegata - aka Red Ring Milkweed - blooming 5-24-2011

Over the past several months, I think I've spotted ladybugs only twice -- and if it's the same one, then that counts as one ladybug. :/ We have quite a number (and variety) of wasps always buzzing about, so I'm hoping they'll keep the aphids under control and leave my caterpillars alone. I only just purchased dill and Florence fennel for swallowtails -- do dill and fennel attract ladybugs? Also, do you let your dill and fennel flower? Thanks.

Nikki, I received the milkweed seeds yesterday. Thanks for including the instructions...they're off to the refrigerator for a month's visit. I put your seeds in the mail a few days ago so you should be receiving them any day. John

> concerned about providing for caterpillars and pollinators ___ In which case the "when" in any given year is when it becomes too cold for them.