• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Home Garden Joy
  • Home
  • How to Garden
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Diseases
    • Plant Profiles
    • Raised Bed Gardening
    • Seed Starting
    • Tools & Equipment
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • About
    • Books & Classes
      • Herbalism Classes
      • Books for Christian Herbalists
      • Privacy Policy

Monarch Butterfly Migration

March 10, 2010 by Jeanne

Reposting a really interesting blog here –

Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel: Milkweed for Monarchs

I had no idea that March begins the monarch butterfly migration. Growing up on Long Island, my dad took us out to Mitchell Field on Sundays so that my brothers would shoot model rockets. The big open fields, a former aviation site (now Hofstra University buildings, the Cradle of Aviation Museum, and lots of office buildings) had meadows of milkweed. My mother used to pick the pods with me and show me how the pods opened to the milk strands. I’ve since learned that milkweed floss used to be the poor man’s bed stuffing; and during World War II, it was collected to stuff life preservers for sailors!

Now I am grateful to see milkweed growing along the fence lines of the cattle fields here…lots of food for butterflies in a world losing so much natural space to urbanization.

I am planting more butterfly plants this year to continue increasing our habitat for both migrating and local species.

Filed Under: Home Garden Tips

Previous Post: « Signs of Spring at Seven Oaks
Next Post: The Case of the Disappearing Peanuts »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bangchik

    March 10, 2010 at

    Urbanization is an invasive gesture by humans on equilibrium. The balance can be so tilted that everything will slide down… But there are signs that humans are quite aware of what’s coming and had been taking corrective actions. A beautiful butterfly is a symbol of diversity being reestablished. ~bangchik

  2. Cameron

    March 10, 2010 at

    Jeanne, thanks for picking up the message and writing about Monarchs!

    Cameron

  3. Skeeter

    March 11, 2010 at

    If you do not have a Butterfly bush, get one. They attract so many different types of butterflies and skippers in my yard. Sad but I am noticing fewer Monarchs…

  4. Jeanne

    March 11, 2010 at

    Bangchik, thanks for your comment. I am so thankful I moved away from the urban areas!

    Cameron, glad to share your blog – it’s excellent.

    And Skeeter – I’ve got 3 “parent” butterfly bushes and so many “offspring” I have new butterfly bushes everywhere! I am adding more flowers – perennials and annuals – to feed the butterflies this year.

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Substack
  • YouTube

As Seen in Porch

 As Seen in Porch

We were featured in Porch.com and answered reader's questions about indoor plants.

Explore All Gardening Articles

Latest Articles

  • Three Easy Steps to Improve Garden Soil
  • Beginner’s Tips to Starting a Vegetable Garden
  • What to Plant in Early Spring: Vegetable Garden

Herbalism Classes & Supplies

Goods Shop by Herbal Academy – botanically inspired products

Disclosure

Home Garden Joy participates in two affiliate programs: Amazon and The Herbal Academy. Home Garden Joy earns a commission from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. As an Herbal Academy Associate, HGJ also earns a commission when you sign up for classes or purchase herbs or supplies from The Herbal Academy. Herbal information and recipes on this site are provided for educational purposes only.

Footer

lettuce growing in a raised bed

What to Plant in Early Spring: Vegetable Garden

What to plant in early spring depends on your gardening zone, but there are many great choices for vegetable gardening that can make your backyard garden productive early in the season. Spring Vegetable Gardening With careful planning, the average backyard gardener in most gardening zones in the United States can grow fresh, organic vegetables throughout…

Read More

green beans on the plant

How to Grow Green Beans Organically

Beans – whether green beans, snap beans, heirloom beans, or any other kind of beans – are easy to grow organically. They need warm temperatures, full sunshine, and fertile soil to grow at their best. While there are insect pests that will eat the leaves of bean plants, they generally don’t harm the beans themselves,…

Read More

a red wheelbarrow filled with mulch with a shovel leaning against it

How to Adjust Soil pH for Vegetable Gardens

How to Test Soil pH If you slept through high school chemistry class, never fear. You can still learn the basics of soil pH for vegetables to ensure a great garden this year. pH refers to the scale of acid to alkaline, a scale developed in the early 20th century by chemists trying to describe…

Read More

polyphemus moth caterpillar

Meet a Polyphemus Moth Caterpillar

We were on our evening walk last night when this beauty crossed our path: a polyphemus moth caterpillar. What Is the Polymphemus Moth? The Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is a large and visually striking moth native to North America. It belongs to the Saturniidae family, which includes many of the giant silk moths. Its name…

Read More

  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Awards

Copyright © 2025 Home Garden Joy on the Foodie Pro Theme