My Lonely Milkweed

I’ve been planting milkweed for years now. I have bought it and I have rescued it. Friends have even given me some. All of these plants have gone into my garden with the hope that a monarch butterfly would find them and lay eggs on them.  It hasn’t happened. The only time that I got monarch eggs is when they came in on a plant that I bought!

Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

I have pondered why my milkweed fails to attract a monarch butterfly. 

• Perhaps they don’t fly past my yard (although one fall they were in a field of goldenrod not 2 miles from my house). To be fair that was fall, not spring, perhaps they have a different route.

• Perhaps I don’t have enough blooming flowers in my yard to steer them into my vicinity during spring migration. You know - the “Eat Here!” flashing-neon-sign-approach.

• Perhaps only a small portion of them even migrate through Georgia and the chance of finding my yard is like a needle in a haystack. Sigh. 

I know they do migrate through Georgia - I have a few scattered reports of caterpillars from friends and acquaintances.  I thought perhaps if I wrote about them, luck might swing my way.

My butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is looking especially yummy right now with handsome foliage and bright orange flowers (see picture above taken this past week). I’ve also got purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) grown and sold by GNPS volunteers and poke milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) that my friend Sheri grew from seed.

If they don’t come, I’ll keep wondering but I’ll also keep growing milkweed. I’ll increase the number of blooms I have available for nectar in spring to lure them in.  And in the fall, when I don’t think they lay eggs on Georgia milkweed but when they definitely have a need for nectar, I’ll keep boosting the amount of blooming flowers available to them. Flying back to Mexico is hard work and providing nectar is the least I can do.

The two most popular flowers that I’ve seen in the wild for monarchs looking for fall nectar are goldenrod (Solidago) and blazing star (Liatris). Both of those provide abundant nectar at just the right time for migrating monarchs – approximately the end of September. And by popular, I mean that I saw monarchs in a big field of flowers and those were the plants they chose.

Monarch 9/29/2012 Canton GA field

In the meantime, I’ll hope that my milkweed helps to sustain other insects that depend on it like pollinators in search of nectar and the other members of the milkweed community.

 

 

The Living Landscape (the book)

Almost from the moment Doug Tallamy’s seminal book Bringing Nature Home was published in 2007, people were clamoring for a follow up. His initial book ignited a passion to bring nature to their home by using more native plants in the landscape. In particular, they were looking for some guidance on incorporating native plants in such a way that curb appeal was considered, for native plant gardens were long considered messy and weedy (even when they weren’t).

The second book is now a reality and it arrived on my doorstep this week. Dr. Tallamy has partnered with Rick Darke to create The Living Landscape, self-described as a “roadmap to a richer, more satisfying garden.” In order to do this, the authors provide inspiring examples and strategies for “making and maintaining a diverse, layered landscape – one that offers beauty on many levels, provides outdoor rooms and turf areas for children and pets, incorporates fragrance and edible plants, and provides cover, shelter and sustenance for wildlife.”

This collaboration is beautifully executed. Rick’s luscious photos bring to life the beautiful potential of our Eastern native plants. From picturesque views of natural settings to professionally executed landscapes, he captures the feeling many of us seek to create. You’ll find yourself longing to seek out many of these plants and bring them home. After you fall in love with this book, be sure to check out his earlier work, The American Woodland Garden, if you haven't already.

Eastern tailed blue butterfly

Doug’s contributions to the work remind us of the urgency of acting to change our landscaping mindset. A story of a blue grosbeak pair that nested in his yard hooks you right from the preface. How magical to play host to such gorgeous birds simply by making the right choices in your landscape. The reader is at once energized to take the steps needed to attract all the creatures that contribute to this story. The choices start simply with native plants.

For those hoping for a quick recipe on how to create the perfect blend of native and non-native plants for the suburban/urban residential landscape, this book will disappoint you. This book is meant to be explored and savored while it teases at your creative juices. Your mind is inspired while your understanding of our contribution to the local ecosystem broadens.

The book starts off with a thorough treatment of the concept of “layers.” We’re all familiar with the concept of vertical layers (canopy-understory-shrub-herbaceous) but here they cover horizontal layers too. Studying the layers helps to understand the need to replicate them to create healthy residential gardens.

Chapter 2 explores why communities and interrelationships matter. It’s an important concept to understand. The more we know, the more we realize why everything has a role to play in its ecosystem.

Chapter 3 offers a key message to residential gardeners in terms of what role our landscapes can play. Each small piece can contribute by providing ecosystem services even at the sub-quarter acre level: water and air filtration, carbon sequestration, support for pollinators, even just a single milkweed plant for a monarch to lay her eggs.

After Chapter 4 awakens our powers of observation, Chapter 5 takes us into application. A number of practical topics are covered, interspersed with pictures that illustrate the concepts. 

This native azalea is beautiful, fragrant and attracts butterflies

Throughout the book the real story is the plant and wildlife interaction. Many of the photos are of plants with birds, butterflies, caterpillars, bees, turtles and more. I hope this book is as inspiring to the average gardener as Dr. Tallamy's first book was. The practical selected plant lists for all regions provide guidance for both ecological and landscape functions. The beautiful pictures and success stories instill a longing to contribute, to give back to those that share this planet with us.

You'll enjoy the grosbeak story. And, if you're like me, you'll be hoping to find a snakeskin lined-nest in your own yard one day. When I do, then I'll know I did something right.