Garden Clubs and Monarch Eggs

As we approach mid-July here in Northwest Illinois, summer is going full swing, even if the cooler-than-normal temperatures have us all scratching our heads.  I don't mind it at all, though!  Since I work outside all day, every day, the cooler temperatures have made me a happy gardener.  And the regular overnight rains have kept all my plants watered on a very convenient schedule.  My containers have never been perkier in mid-July!

Speaking of which, last night I had the opportunity to go and speak to the Rolling Meadows Garden Club about creating unique and interesting combo planters.  As always, I find the experience of speaking to a garden club so rewarding, because the learning process is nearly always a two-way street.  They learned about design principals behind planting combo pots, and I learned something interesting from them as well.

There are a couple of women (at least--there are probably more, but I only spoke to 2 ) who are very interested in saving the Monarch, and have taken on an endeavor of collecting the Monarch eggs on bits of milkweed leaves, hatching them, and caring for them until they are full-grown butterflies, ready to be released.  To-date this year they report that they have released well over 200 adult butterflies.  That is pretty exciting news!

I  have a nice patch of Asclepias syriaca in front of my garage (and a smaller patch of Aclepias tuberosa in another bed).  The syriaca in years past has yielded caterpillars which I have helped my son raise and release.  But last year, we never saw a single caterpillar, in spite of seeing eggs.  One of the women last night told me that only 1% of the eggs ever hatch, and most are eaten by ants.  Since we live in Antopolis, the center of the ant universe, I instantly recognized our problem.  If I ever wanted to see a caterpillar, chances are I'd have to bring the eggs in and try my hand at hatching them myself.  She explained the process:  Cut the section of leaf with the egg on it, and place it on a moist paper towel in a container, egg-side up.  Check regularly over the next 7-10 days.  The eggs will start to darken shortly before hatching.  Place a fresh milkweek leaf in the container daily as soon as the eggs begin to darken, to ensure that the newly hatched caterpillars can find food right away.



I woke up earlier than usual this morning, and thought I'd go ahead and take advantage of my extra half-hour to check out my milkweed plants.  I hit paydirt almost immediately.  I'm not SURE they are all butterfly eggs, but we're going to give it a try and see what happens!

In other news, I've begun getting calls from garden clubs across Northwest Illinois to book me for the coming club seasons.  I've heard from 3 clubs in the past week or so--Antioch, Inverness, and Des Plaines.  Each of them booked a different program.  Looking forward to filling up my cold-weather months with these programs.  Because what's the only thing better than gardening itself?  Why, talking about gardening, of course!

Native Gardening is Hot, Hot, Hot!

What's the latest hot trend in gardening?  These days, it's all about getting back to our roots and selecting native plants.  The Perennial Plant Association selected a native grass as their 2014 perennial of the year:  Panicum virginatum 'Northwind', also known as Northwind Switch Grass.

Why go native?  There are so many great reasons! To begin with, it just makes sense that plants that are adapted to the climate and soil will thrive in our gardens. Instead of pouring money  into plants that aren't meant to survive here, spending loads of time coddling these fussy strangers along and trying to convince them that they like it here, we can look to the beautiful and often overlooked plants that have set their roots here for many generations-they are more cost and time efficient.  

All Asclepias species are hosts to Monarch Caterpillars

Perhaps you are a great gardener, with a green thumb and a micro-climate, who is able to successfully grow plants not native to our region.  There are still very important reasons you should consider incorporating at least some natives in your garden beds.  Many species rely on these plants in order to eat and survive!!  Perhaps you've heard the plight of the Monarch butterfly, and the plea to plant milkweed.  Milkweed is the only plant that the caterpillars of the Monarch can eat.  They cannot survive on any other plant.  And the Monarch is the rule rather than the exception.  Many of the other butterflies rely on specific plants as a food source, and if that food source disappears, so will the butterflies.  They cannot adapt.  They cannot change their digestive system to suit the plants that WE think they should.  And, as our land is continually developed, their ecosystems, with the natural plants they rely on, are quickly being replaced with sod and non-native species.  Even incorporating a small, diverse selection of native plants into your landscape can provide an oasis for these species which they desperately need!

There is a lot of press out there right now about butterflies and bees.  Attracting pollinators to your yard is a must-do these days.  Many catalogs and greenhouses offer lists of  plants to attract bees and butterflies to your yard.  And it is a wonderful endeavor, to create a habitat for these creatures.  But before you set off to plant up your butterfly plot, double check that the majority of those plants are native to your area.  Planting lovely flowers will certainly attract bees and butterflies.  But if you wish to keep them in your yard, if you wish to truly create a habitat that will invite them to come and stay, those native plants are your key to success!!

Other

More Reading:  Illinois Extension Article on Butterfly Gardens

You'll BEE Seeing More About This Topic!

Maybe some of you remember that I posted a new photo of a bee on Facebook each week last summer? I've been doing a lot of reading and studying this past year to try to understand what's going on with bees.
, and about Colony Collapse Disorder. I'm going to repeat my bee pictures this summer, and with each one, I'm going to post a little myth-busting info. For example, did you know there are over 500 species of native bees in Illinois? Some of them colonize, but some live alone. Some nest in twigs, branches, or trees, some nest underground. While chemical pesticides, fungicides, and miticides are a threat to them, an even greater threat is their loss of habitat. As more and more land is turned into pristine yards, their nesting sites are disappearing. Planting flowers that attract pollinators is a first step that many people are interested in doing. But a big part of attracting native pollinators is being willing to leave at least parts of your property in a natural state (preferred), or looking at adding some of the "bee houses" to your yard.