Native Gardening

[JBtheExplorer]

Prairie Smoke is putting on a show!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Woah! Just found monarch eggs! Never had them this early before.

Sadly, many of my milkweeds have had to be removed due to milkweed yellows disease, and I've also been dealing with aster yellows, and I'm worried they both are continuing to spread faster than I can detect.

 

[Lisak1]

I thought I spotted a monarch in my yard yesterday, too... very early but welcome any time!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I thought I spotted a monarch in my yard yesterday, too... very early but welcome any time!

Yes, they've been around here for weeks! I've counted dozens since mid-May. I've seen them this early before, but usually not as many this early, and never had eggs this early before.

 

[mrsclem]

I haven't seen any monarchs yet. Milkweed is getting ready to bloom so hopefully that will bring some in.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The local Wild Ones native plant sale was today. Picked up a few.

I wanted Meadow Anemone last year but didn't grab it, so I made sure to grab it this year. I think it may go in my rain garden, but I'm not entirely sure yet.

Royal Catchfly is one I've wanted to try for a few years, since hummingbirds like it. We'll see how it does. It's red, which is a rare color in natives, so it's always nice to find something red.

I also grabbed another Side-oats Grama. I picked one up at the sale last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I thought I'd grab another this year.

Oh, and they also gave me like six packet of free milkweed seeds!

 

[j.w]

The names they come up w/for some plants
Wondering if the red one really catches flies and does grama really love her side of oats?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The names they come up w/for some plants
Wondering if the red one really catches flies and does grama really love her side of oats?

Royal Catchfly does catch flies! From what I remember reading a few years ago, flies and small insects get caught on sticky glands on the stems and die. I don't think the plant actually gets any benefit from them, which is weird. I believe that it's somehow related to carnivorous plants.

 

[mrsclem]

I'm guessing I should have pruned back some of my plants from last year but I wasn't sure what was what. Hummingbird mint (Korean mint) is a huge bush and my New England waters are over 5'. Next year I will pinch things back.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Starting a new project beneath a row of Maple trees that are between my driveway and my neighbor's driveway. It's a weedy area and it's time for me to plant some natives.

It's not all weeds. There are some natives growing including May Apple and Redtwig dogwood.

I also discovered Downy Yellow Violet last month. It appears to be growing a seed pod now, so hopefully now that I'm clearing a lot of the weeds out, those seeds will become plants.

I've been moving wild geranium and eastern red columbine seedlings over as well, and I hope to move some young ferns over, too.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Found three Monarch caterpillars on my Swamp Milkweed today. Also had a female monarch fly in and lay eggs on many of my butterflyweed plants.

 

[mrsclem]

I'm afraid the little cats will eat everything before it all blooms. Haven't found any yet but it's been raining for last 3 days.

 

[addy1]

Mine has just started blooming, so far only seeing bees and other butterflies on the plants.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I have a caterpillar or egg on every single milkweed plant I have. It's an outstanding year so far.
Here's one on butterflyweed in my rain garden.