Yes. My gardens are generally a tribute to my friend Lincoln Brower and his life's work with Monarch Butterflies. I feel I am a small part of one of Nature's greatest wonders - the longest migration of any creature on Earth. I am happy to say my enthusiasm is contagious, and I inspire others to butterfly garden too, and help restore habitats for them. I also hand rear MB butterflies, and they are all given a name of some kind or other. My friends will ask me to name a MB in honor of a loved one, sometimes ill or deceased. It is particularly exciting when it is the 5th generation heading out for the long migration to Mexico.

You guys are lucky to have the Zebra Swallowtails in your location. They are found in Eastern Oklahoma, and I live in Central Oklahoma in OKC. I have never seen one fly here. But, I was looking thru the BAMONA blog at ButterfliesandMoths.org, and I saw that one was reported in my county (Oklahoma) last year. I'm sure it was a rare stray, but maybe they will eventually expand their range over the next 100 years or so. :) I am also very urban, within 3 miles of downtown OKC. I am lucky to see the butterflies that I do. I've yet to observe a Spicebush Swallowtail. Finally saw a Red Spotted Purple this year, and I've been doing this since 2001 or so. Viceroys are another one that I have only seen on one occasion. Many of the butterflies like the SBST, Viceroys and RSPs are found in rural areas close to waterways and native host plants where lots of Sassafras and Willows grow in abundance. But who is to say that one day I won't see them again.......... Susan

No cattle here, but we had horses for the last 40 years and one very old and small pony is still with us. We mow our 2 1/2 acres pasture now as lawn since the little beast can't hope to keep it all grazed down. Years ago we had a large vegetable garden and, without a rototiller, it was a full time job, so eventually we did abandon it. I think at some point we will probably grow vegies again. My flower gardening in past years was limited to a smallish circular bed of annuals and geraniums in windowboxes. It was time consuming to care for 2 horses and 2 and the large vegetable garden, but we were younger then. Now we have time to actually focus our attention on landscaping, trees, paths, and permanent flower beds. We spend a lot of time mowing the acreage but have plans to turn some of it into forested areas so the upkeep will be less. I think it would be very difficult to combine raising livestock and vegetables with decorative gardening. That sort of combined farming is very demanding. Like you though, Dee, I've thought about chickens too, to have some sort of livestock (besides dogs and cats) when our pony finally goes to greener pastures. But I've heard that chickens can live up to 20 years so I don't know.

Hedychium coronarium Looking to exchange for rare, scented tropicals, bulbs, seeds, corms, vines