Are you all seeing monarchs?
deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
3 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (18)
deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Finally seeing Monarchs in my garden ...
Comments (10)Hi Sandy, Thank you for your nice comment on the photo. I noticed the same native Liatris blooming along the freeway while on my way to London, AR. I'm going to let the seed heads on my plants dry and see if I can be successful with seed germination this winter. I've never had luck germinating seed of this plant. Yes, I believe MaryAnn did have several different Asters available. Don't they make nice color this time of year plus provide a much needed nectar source. I can't wait to see how this Peachies Pick does. It has some dried seed heads on it and I crumpled up one and sprinkled it in a mini greenhouse to see if anything germinates. Be happy to share some seed, if they're viable and come true from seed. My potted plant also has a fresh bloom, which I think is beautiful ... love to try new plants! http://www.perennialreference.com/perennials/stokesia.html Pine Ridge Gardens is having another open house in mid October. That might be an ideal time to consider driving over. The Open House dates are on MaryAnn's website. ~Mary Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Ridge Gardens...See MoreRandy, are you seeing any Monarchs??
Comments (2)Thanks, Randy. Even with the "light" northerly wind change this morning, I saw more coming into the garden. As I tagged, they would leave, and more would come in. Let me know if you see more Monarchs....See MoreAll first round Monarch eggs/hatch'lings survived
Comments (5)Jeannie, I don't know if you can tell when the photo is enlarged, but the chrysalis has been formed on a piece of fine netting. With this group, I raised them in clear 32 oz food containers, which look like big soda cups. I place a round piece of netting over the top and secure with a rubber band. When the cat forms his chrysalis, it is attached to the netting and I can then place it on a piece of Styrofoam like you see. When they begin to darken, I take the netting and safety pin it to a ribbon dangling from the ceiling in a butterfly rearing cage. When they eclose, they can cling to the netting and dry. Once dry, I release them. Using these containers requires a lot of work if there are large numbers of cats, as I only keep one or two cats per container and they must be fed frequently. I keep cut up pieces of paper towel to use in the bottom of the cups. My son refers to these paper towels pieces as butterfly diapers. These are replaced several times in a 24 period, so the container is kept clean. I've gotten quite good at being able to gently remove the rubber band by pushing it off of the bottom of the container. Then I secure the netting circle with a clothes pin while I work on the container, even when there is a cat clinging to the netting. When this simple equipment is no longer needed, I sanitize and dry the netting and containers, then stack and store for future use. Using these small containers, I can remove leaf material from a milkweed and feed individual leaves. I didn't have a lot of big mw plants this spring, so this allowed me to selectively remove leaves from growing plants and keep the plants producing. Later in the season, I can place a pot of fresh milkweed in the rearing cage and let them have at it until time to replace the pot with a new pot. That is a lot less time consuming, as not having to harvest individual leaves and cleaning one cage a couple of times a day is far easier than many individual containers but I didn't have much potted milkweed available this spring so had to resort to selectively plucking leaves. :-) I got the idea for using these little containers, Clear Food Storage Containers from a past forum member who showed photos of his rearing set up, which he kept in his office. The netting circles I buy packaged, about 12 circles to a package. I've forgotten what they're called but I found them in Wedding Supplies. Actually, the number of spring cats this year has surprised me. If not for having the use of young milkweed from my small greenhouse, these particular little guys would never have reached adulthood because I didn't have enough emerging garden milkweed to support them. Mary...See MoreYou all probably knew this already - re: West Coast Monarch
Comments (2)I had a terrible year too. After the initial early spring with a large group of eggs and releases, poof, very few eggs and lots of disease and failures. :( Not giving up though, trying my last batch of a few.......See Moredeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
3 years agoprairiemoon2 z6b MA
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MAdeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
3 years agodiggerdee zone 6 CT
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b thanked diggerdee zone 6 CTdiggerdee zone 6 CT
3 years agoprairiemoon2 z6b MA
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MAdeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
3 years agodeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
3 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESWhat’s in a Name? See 6 Wildflowers That Aren’t ‘Weeds’ at All
Dispel the stereotypes of weeds and try these wildlife-supporting native wildflowers in your garden
Full StoryMODERN HOMESMy Houzz: All Right With All-White in a Modern New Jersey Home
A bold monochrome palette with black accents, modern art and treehouse-like views of NYC are stars in this couple’s dramatic home
Full StoryACCESSORIESFound Objects: The Most Natural Decor of All
They're beautiful, plentiful and best of all, free. See how to turn surprise finds into uniquely personal displays
Full StoryPRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: Hot Trends in Rugs for All Budgets
See the most popular rug looks today at high, middle and low price points, to make a decorating statement no matter how much you can spend
Full StoryVINTAGE STYLESee Your Name in Lights
Marquee letters have moved from the carnival to the home, bringing all of the fun with them
Full StoryEVENTS6 Must-See Homes From the L.A. Beach Cities Modern Home Tour
From a home that mimics life on a boat to an updated beach bungalow, these modern houses capture what L.A. coastal living is all about
Full StoryARCHITECTUREPersonal Spaces: It’s All About the Light
See 10 homes that worship the sun beautifully
Full StorySTORAGESee a Hollywood Actor's Ship-Inspired Storage That's Boatloads of Cool
All hands on deck to check out this spacious storage and sleeping room featuring a steel gangplank, a pulley system and nautical rope
Full StoryLIVING ROOMSCurtains, Please: See Our Contest Winner's Finished Dream Living Room
Check out the gorgeously designed and furnished new space now that the paint is dry and all the pieces are in place
Full Story
prairiemoon2 z6b MA