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