First Monarch

A few days ago on Facebook, the Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program posted that they had seen their first Monarch butterfly in Southeastern MN.  They asked if anyone had seen Monarchs in their area.  Monday afternoon, I saw one!  I ran inside to get the camera and got a few snapshots.  Here’s the only clear shot of the bunch.

A neighbor saw me with my camera and asked what I was up to, so I told her about the FB post.  Her sweetie ran inside and got their camera.  We stood in the street for a bit watching the Monarch flit about, landing from time to time on a plant in my Native boulevard garden.

Tonight, my neighbor and I were out weeding and she noticed several milkweed plants in my boulevard garden—none of which I planted!  We checked the milkweed for eggs and discovered that the boulevard is a veritable Monarch nursery!  I don’t remember a thing from fourth grade when we watched Monarchs in the classroom, so I had to go to Wikipedia, which said the eggs should hatch in about 4 days!  The caterpillar will last about two weeks.  And then two more weeks in the chrysalis.  So, in a little over a month, if everything goes well, I should see Monarchs galore!  

I’ll have to do a periodic check on the plants to see if any/all the eggs become caterpillars and whether the caterpillars survive the predators.

What an exciting accidental adventure!

Repellents versus "-cides"

I had planned to mulch yesterday in the two beds that still lack mulch since the forecast is for five more days of 90 degree temperatures with dew points in the 70s. Weather like this means stress for some plants – especially transplants – and mulch can help. It cools the soil and holds in the moisture. But, when sweat was pouring off us as we took the dogs for a walk, I decided to change my plans and stay indoors—in the basement, actually since the fans weren’t keeping us very cool.

The day I was experimenting with essential oils for insect repellent, a neighbor asked me if it would work on getting rid of the Japanese Beetles in her yard. We then had a good conversation about the difference between repellents (compounds designed to keep the bugs away from you) and “-cides” (compounds designed to kill that which precedes the –cide).

I’m battling the Japanese Beetles, too, but am loathe to use an insecticide, because many of them are broad spectrum killers and I want to keep the butterflies and the bees – so I’ve been going out a couple times a day and picking the beetles off the plants (roses mostly) and dropping them into a container of soapy water. (The soap coats their wings so they can’t fly away.) I know it sounds cruel, but they’re eating my roses!

I haven’t done a lot of research on natural or specific insecticides, but there’s a week of 90s ahead – providing lots of opportunity for research. If you’ve found a natural insecticide that doesn’t harm bees or butterflies, post a comment and let me know!

Lucky Shot

I love seeing birds, bees, and butterflies in the gardens. I almost never have my camera when I’m working, though, because I worry about dropping it in a hole, sweeping it off the wall, stepping on it, or setting it down and forgetting about it. So, I typically take the camera out in the morning after our walk and take shots of the things that are blooming.

The butterflies have been plentiful lately – flitting and floating from flower to flower around the gardens. But, again, I never have my camera to capture these colorful moments. The other evening, though, I got lucky. Monty and I were just coming down the home stretch and a Monarch landed on one of the liatris. I stood and watched it open and close its wings as Monty watered one last plant. I hurried Monty inside, grabbed the camera, and went out to see if the butterfly was still around. It was still on the liatris—still opening and closing its wings. I took a few shots and managed to get this one.

Do you take the camera into the garden with you while you’re working so you can capture great shots? Or, do you make special photo trips into the garden like I do? Post a comment, let me know!

Birds, Bees, and Butterflies

I was watering the other morning and noticed that all of my companions were Bs. There were bees on the lavender—not the 747 type bumblebees that look so heavy you wonder how they buzz about—but regular bees. I wish I knew more about bees and wasn’t allergic to their stings. I might try having a hive just to see what the honey would taste like from the flowers in and near my gardens. I imagine the lavender and anise hyssop would make a tasty treat. I try to keep the water at the ground so I don’t splatter them as they collect their pollen and nectar.

Tiny sparrows and chickadees had found perches on the tomato cages in the rose gardens and they were chirping loudly about something. It couldn’t have been about the feeders because they were full of seed. They don’t mind getting sprinkled with water, but the tomatoes do, so I resisted the temptation to turn their way with the water. I did fill the birdbaths, and some hopped from their perches to the water.

When I got to the Natives Garden, a Monarch butterfly was hovering by the Echinacea. It looked like it wanted to land, but didn’t. It fluttered, instead, to the Monarda where it did land—but only for a moment. I stopped watering to watch where it would go next, and it did go back to the Echinacea. The orange and black was striking against the pink. Eventually, it moved to another garden and I continued my watering—grateful for having had such delightful visitors.