Posts: 26
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2007
07-15-2011, 08:18 PM
Re: (0...)
A smorgasbord awaits them as well as a nursery for the Monarchs (swamp milkweed and butterfly weed). Alas! No customers except one small white guy.
Any ideas? Any encouragement?
Thank you,
... rita b
Garden Addict and Sometime Librarian
Garden Addict and Sometime Librarian
Posts: 19
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2011
Hi Rita,
sounds like you've got the ingredients of a great butterfly garden. But I have to say... I haven't seen many around these parts either (zone 5b). I've also only seen one or two little white butterflies. That's really about it. The upside (in my book anyway) is that I've seen a few more bees this year. So I suppose that's good.
Posts: 182
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2006
I would say to just give it more time. The butterflies need time to find your garden, but also, butterfly populations will fluctuate from year to year, and maybe this is a year with lower population numbers. Where I am we had an insanely wet and cold spring which probably affected the caterpillar hatching & development rates, and probably affected the caterpillar predator populations too. Population fluctuations are a very complicated balance, and our gardens are just one part of the equation.
The great thing about gardening is that you always get a chance to start over!
Posts: 19
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2011
Hi Rita,
saw a GORGEOUS monarch in my yard just last night and I remembered your post. Hopefully there will be more on the way!
(update) - my son just told me he saw another one this morning!
Posts: 10
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2019