Spring Things

We're finally confident that Spring is here.  After early April temperatures in the 80s, then 6" of snow a week later, today is a comfortable 66 degrees and we can get on with the garden work.

Last summer we purchased a small fig tree.  I've never actually eaten a fresh fig, only Fig Newtons : )  The variety is Brown Turkey and although it's a good variety for our northern climate, it can't take the weather if it gets too cold.  We left it planted in the large pot and moved it from the patio into the garage for the winter.  This is what it looks like today --

Brown Turkey Fig Tree

If the weather is expected to drop below freezing, we'll move it back to the garage overnight and bring it out when the weather warms up.  

The below photo shows our asclepias incarnata "Cinderella" milkweed emerging from the pot it was planted in last year.  We bought it from a local nursery and it wintered over on our patio.

Milkweed

Each year the orioles return to our area the beginning of May.  I put out the feeder a couple days ahead of their arrival so they'll see it when they fly over.  The feeder is filled with nectar, grape jelly and oranges.  Cardinals and grey catbirds also enjoy it.

Signs of Spring 2020

Flowers / Veggies are emerging

Asclepias Incarnata Milkweed Just Beginning to Emerge

Daffodils

Primrose

Primrose

Peas that were planted 5 weeks ago

Johnny Jump Ups

Strawberry

Garlic

Lupine 

Raising Butterflies in Your Garden, Part I

On a warm, sunny day everyone loves watching colorful butterflies fluttering through their garden, stopping to nectar on flowers and flowering bushes. With the addition of a few host plants, an ordinary flower garden can be transformed into a waystation or habitat that not only attracts the butterflies, but provides them with plants on which to lay their eggs.

Each variety of butterfly has specific host plants where it lays its eggs and when the caterpillar emerges, feeds on the leaves of those plants. About seven years ago I began incorporating host plants into the garden and have successfully raised and released monarchs, eastern black swallowtails and giant swallowtails.


Monarch host plants include all types of milkweed and my garden includes Common (Asclepias Syriaca), Whorled (Asclepias Verticillata), Butterfly Weed  (Asclepias Tuberosa), and Tropical (Asclepias Curassavica).  Common, Whorled, and Butterfly Weed, are perennial milkweeds in our NY climate zone.  Tropical is an annual and has to be replanted each Spring.  All milkweeds secrete a sticky, white sap that is irritating to the skin and eyes.

Black Swallowtail host plants include Fennel, Dill, Parsley, Queen Ann's Lace, Carrot, and occasionally Rue.

The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly found in North America, measuring up to 6" across the wings.  I've provided Rue for its host plant.  In southern climates its caterpillars feed on citrus trees. Rue is irritating to the skin and eyes and has a pungent odor.

I make a point of buying host plants from a garden center that hasn't used pesticides on them, since caterpillars will die from eating those leaves. Online nurseries are also a good source for plants and many of them mention on their site that they don't use harmful chemicals. We also avoid using pesticides in and around our garden.

Monarch Host Plants:

Butterfly Weed

Swamp Milkweed

Whorled Milkweed

Tropical Milkweed

Common Milkweed

Black Swallowtail Host Plants:

Dill

Queen Ann's Lace

Fennel

Parsley

Giant Swallowtail Host Plant:

Rue

If you have an interest in attracting specific butterflies that are typical in your area of the country, provide them with their host plant and you'll have a good chance of spotting them in your garden.

Visit to the Garden Center

Today's visit to the nursery garden center was a success in my quest to find more perennials for the garden at home.  Actually, my visit was to purchase a Toad Lily, a fall bloomer; but I also ended up with two daylilies called "Passionate Returns,"  another milkweed to attract Monarch butterflies, a hosta named "Curly Fries" and two small common rue plants.  One of the rue plants contained a bonus -- an Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar camouflaged among the leaves.  I'll place the plant with caterpillar under a cage in the garden so it will be protected from predators as it continues developing, forming its chrysalis and eventually emerging as a butterfly.

Monarch Waystation

The plant on the left is common milkweed (asclepias syriaca), a host plant of the monarch butterfly.  Behind the milkweed is a butterfly bush (buddlea) and to the right are coneflowers (echinacea).  Monarchs will only lay eggs on milkweed (any variety) and when the eggs hatch, the caterpillars feed on the leaves.

 Female monarch nectaring on butterfly bush

Monarch caterpillars feeding on common milkweed