The Escape of the Monarch Butterfly

Here we have it...I watched this beautiful winged flyer being born...amazing. This Monarch Butterfly had just opened her wings for the very first time. Slowly and gently, her wings flapped in the wind. Gathering energy from the sun's rays, it wasn't long before she flew to the sky. How do I know it's a girl? Male Monarch's have a black dot on the lower part of each wing.

I had been watching the cocoons for several days and as each day passed, the cocoons became lighter in colour. At one point, you could actually see the colour orange of the forming butterfly.

To the left is the empty transparent cocoon. From the time the caterpillars manifested themselves into their respective cocoons, it took 14 days for the entire transformation. Isn't Mother Nature just amazing!

Earlier in my gardening days, I had not given any thought to the Monarch Butterflies or cocoons. I always appreciated the beauty of the butterfly, but never invested the time to plant their host or watch them evolve.

I can remember back to my good old school days...I thought the whole process was rather boring.  Today, I have come a long way to appreciating what is given to us as miracles or genetics as my husband calls it.

From the beginnings, I had 10 caterpillars roaming the Swamp Milkweed. They ate vigorously, up and down the leaves. I have a page dedicated to the Monarch Butterfly on my website. Check it out a view a short video of these furry fat creatures munching Monarch Butterfly. Once they outgrew their skins (a total of 5 times) they formed their chrysalis. I managed to find 7 cocoons.

In the image below, can you see the black formation of the Monarch wings?

I have already decided to plant additional Swamp Milkweeds for next season. As it stands for this year, the Monarch caterpillars did not destroy my plants as feared by many gardeners. In fact, my plants have tripled in growth/size and are about to bloom for the second time!

Doris

Monarch Butterfly Cocoons

What a miserable day...rain and wind. I'm sure that when the clouds clear I will find a few of my plants water logged or turned to mush. The first half of August was hot and muggy, so you would think that I would enjoy a cooler day. Not so. It seems that whenever we get rain, we literally get a deluge of water, ergo making it very difficult to work in the garden. No sense in compacting the soil. Oh well...a few days of reprieve allowing me to update my web site and make blog entries.

Within the next few days my cocooned caterpillars will emerge as Monarch Butterflies. The cocoon will become transparent and the butterfly will become visible. Can you already see (in the above image) the butterfly transforming inside? I have documented this wonderful act of Mother Nature and can been seen on my website My Gardening and Landscaping Makeover.  I had never before planted the Milkweed, which is the host plant. And unlike other gardeners, I didn't even mind them munching on the leaves.

Blue Chalk, Angelina and Mezzo

This trio...what a combination. Sedum Angelina to the far left...in the center, the Blue Chalk and to the right, the Dorotheanthus Mezzo.

I was determined to plant a succulent container this season but I was on the hunt for something different to plant...something that would cause other garden lovers to stop and say, wow.

If you can imagine, the trio were just tiny plants when I discovered them at my favorite garden center. And now, as the summer days are fleeting by, the Blue Chalk is looking a little more shrub-like and the Mezzo is trailing as it should with tiny buton size red flowers tucked neatly with the white edged succulent leaves.

All of the plants require a certain amount of sun light and can actually be planted in direct sun. Mine are in a part sun location.  The Sedum Angelina, will eventually provide a wonderful contrast colour of yellow, star shaped blooms and the lime green spikey leaves make another great contrast to the deep green leaves of the Blue Chalk.

Maybe next year I'll consider a larger container...I think that this one is going to be an issue pretty soon.

Bonfire Begonia

Here comes another new discovery for me late in the planting season. It wasn't until I visited a rural garden center that I discovered this beautiful begonia. Only three lonely plants sitting on an upper ledge...somewhat covered by some empty pots. Could someone have put these delicate looking gems aside, trying ever so hard to hide them from plain sight?

Naturally, any plant that glows such a magnificent coral red immediately catches my attention, no matter how hard someone tries to hide the plant.

Have I been living under a rock not to notice this annual in my previous adventures to the garden center? While the tag indicates that the Bonfire works well as a border plant, I can't imagine planting it in the ground! This begonia belongs in a planter box, basket or container...allowing for the naturally curving branches, filled with an abundance of brightly coloured blooms, to fall gently downwards.

Patience is needed to pick up the spent blooms, but really who cares. This annual is self cleaning, meaning that no deadheading is required. I must confess, however, that I do help it along and pick off the seed pods. I'm probably the only gardener that also deadheads the Lobelia. Crazy, I know.

Now, don't go thinking that I have so much time on my hands, it just that the plants seem to look so much better when only the living blooms are attached to the stems!

So, go ahead, find the Bonfire Begonia and while you are at it, buy another container for planting. Just remember to add Myke's growth hormone prior to adding the begonia. This begonia also prefers a moist soil, so don't forget to water regularly. Enjoy!

The Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar

This is the first year that I planted the Swamp Milkweed. Many gardeners have expressed their dismay in planting this perennial simply because of the Monarch Butterfly caterpillar. Then why have the plant in the first place?

The Milkweed perennial is the host plant for the Monarch Butterfly. No other plant will do. The Monarch can lay up to 400 eggs on the underside of the leaves. Not that each develops but when they do, the transformation of their life cycle is amazing.

Yes, true... this caterpillar does eat the leaves, however this is exactly why I planted the perennial. Actually, I also planted the Swamp Milkweed for my grandson, Sebastian. At his age, being 9 years old, just loves anything related to bugs.

As the caterpillar grows it sheds its skin 5 times before it transforms to the jade green chrysalis. Wait 10 days to 2 weeks and watch the Monarch emerge.

Besides watching the caterpillars, this perennial looks terrific planted by my waterfall and pond.

I was surprised to see how well the this Milkweed bloomed and grew in size for its first year. It tripled in size and has bloomed for well over 6 weeks.

For the next few weeks, I shall watch in wonder as my two caterpillars go through their life cycle.