Butterfly Field Of Dreams

[Mmathis]

Ugh! They’re called Oleander aphids! I’ve tried a few things to get rid of them (lots of remedies online), the only thing that has worked for me is......to manually squish them! Yuck, but it worked!

Beautiful flowers! It’s odd, but most of the flowers I have, have already bloomed (or haven’t bloomed yet), but am just now seeing a few butterflies — when I’m in a flower off-period!

 

[Lisak1]

So pretty! Even if it's just one butterfly, it's worth it - right? We get a lot of monarchs and swallowtails around his time every year. They love the milkweed and the butterfly bushes. So much fun to watch them go from blossom to blossom - they are like nature's fairies!

 

[mrsclem]

We had butterflies in early spring and then the weather got crazy. I think they all froze! Now they are coming back. Dozens of small white cabbage butterflies and a few swallowtails.

 

[Lisak1]

Ugh. Cabbage butterflies. Not my fav! I know they serve a purpose, but can they just leave my brassicas alone?!!

 

[mrsclem]

Something has completely stripped my red and blue cardinal flower plants as well as the marsh mallow. Thinking its the cabbage bugs! Another monarch in the garden today but it's too busy to pose for pics!

 

[Gemma]

Beautiful garden! Thanks for the update

 

[mrsclem]

The monarch eggs are hatching! almost every leaf I checked either had an egg or tiny caterpillar. and of course, aphids but they don't seem to be bothering the plants so far. Going to be fun watching these guys grow.

 

[mrsclem]

I planted cleome in the peony beds and it worked out great. I know it will probably take over next year.

 

[addy1]

Great about the caterpillars! Love the colors in your gardens.

 

[addy1]

I saw three big fat monarch caterpillars on the swamp milk weed today. They look darn healthy. The plants are covered with aphids, more than I have ever seen. Ignoring so I don't hurt the caterpillars.

 

[mrsclem]

Finally getting a lot of butterflies in the garden. The yellow swallowtails seem to love the joe pye weed. My monarch caterpillars are disappering. I suspect the birds are getting them.

 

[j.w]

Lovely photos @mrsclem

 

[addy1]

Last time I checked mine were crawling around.

My monarch caterpillars are disappering.

 

[mrsclem]

Just did an update on the gardening forum and then went out to the garden. About a dozen female monarchs flying around the garden and I thought the birds had got all my caterpillars but no! My milkweed plants are being stripped- by caterpillars! counted over 4 dozen. They are so thick the plant are actually shaking from the chewing! I honestly didn't expect to see more than a couple of butterflies this year but they found the garden!

 

[addy1]

I just counted a bunch on my plants. I am worried they are going to run out of food! the plants are real low on leaves. Just posted about should I try and save them.