I agree the best bet would be to grow, grow, and grow milkweed like crazy to be prepared for next year's influx of monarchs. I also have had very poor luck in finding any significant amount in nursery's and it is defiantly late in the season for them to be stocking any. I have heard it takes about 10 plants to attract them into your yard. Although I gave my mom two and she got them the first year I gave them to her. It took me 2 1/2 years of growing them in my yard to get any Monarchs in to my yard. Granted, as I have talked to others near my neighborhood, they had faster luck than I did! It is the right season here in North San Diego county for monarchs. I have many eggs and for the FIRST time I saw mid-air copulation taking place in my garden today! I now commonly have monarch cats as late as Thanksgiving. And actually I was surprised to have them as early as August this year.

Eloise before you know it you will be having your own beautiful plants again! HUGS Barb last year I had the butterfly ginger in morning sun and it did not bloom until fall. But it was also the 1st year after I got it from Kristy. this year I have it in afternoon sun and it has been blooming for a while already. But I do know that maybe it is the hot TX sun in the the summer that burns the leaf tips quite a bit. Good Question. Edna yours is so much darker then CB's. Is it like that with gingers...the older they are ir blooming more...the darker the color? Or does zones...heat etc play a factor with gingers also? Cause I sure LOVE those too. Lucy

I live in Maple Grove near the intersection of 494 and 94. Where are you located? Heard on the news that the painted ladies are migrating south. They were here until evening. We are seeing a few monarchs. I sometimes see a few other butterflies, cabbage whites, surfers, fritillaries, skippers, admirals. Had several swallowtail butterflies earlier. They are fond of tiger lily blooms which I grow just for them. Didn't see any giant black swallowtails this year. How about you?

Interesting TBR article on the "epic surge" of painted ladies along I-35. We're still seeing them in waves in our Dallas yard. But then so are the lizards...."She" was a fighter and got away with all but an antenna which I watched the anole slurp down like spaghetti. Can't be 100% certain this is the same one, but notice the missing antenna back on the Henry Duelberg moments later - if it was "her", must really love the HD.... I would have been so far gone.