Category Archives: monarch eating

Slow down, and enjoy

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My garden has taught me to slow down and really look at what is happening in nature.

It’s one of my most favorite routines, a walk through the garden before 8:30 in the morning.

You ask, why?

The garden is usually fluttering and buzzing with activity in the morning hours as the sun casts a warmth across the plants.

This morning the monarch butterfly caught my eye and kept my attention for a long time.

She was not bothered by my proximity to her, as her focus was solely on the nectar she was seeking from the purple porterweed. 

I honestly lost count on how many flowers she visited.

She did however take a short break and landed on the goldenrod where she soaked up the sun while opening and closing her wings.

Did you know their feet and head have sensory organs, which help them identify different plants?

Another interesting fact – monarchs can store enough fat, so they do not have to stop and eat while they are overwintering.

The monarch

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The monarch’s are having a pretty incredible year in the garden so far. As soon as the temperatures became warm a few months ago, they are spotted in the garden every day.

The one pictured below may be a newly emerged male butterfly. It has been in the gsrden for quite some time now, enjoying the many blanket flowers that have surrounded him.

The caterpillars, of every instar, are continuously chowing down on the giant milkweed and the balloon milkweed that are spread throughout the garden.

When I truly take the time to slow down and really look at the leaves, and bark of the giant milkweed, as well as neighboring plants, I spot a plethora of caterpillars everywhere.

Below are just a few of the many in the garden.

Determination

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The last few days I have been watering newly planted milkweed, as the heat is extreme,  and the rain has not been falling as often. The best time to do this is about an hour before the sun goes down.

It appears this is the best time to stroll through the garden, as the last few days there have been monarchs feasting on nectar. Tonight’s dinner, the nectar of a Mexican sunflower.

I loved watching this monarch’s determination of extending its proboscis, finding the opening of the flower, and sipping the nectar.

The best things happen when you slow down enough to witness nature at its finest.

A zinnia meal

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It’s that time of year when the only good time to work in the garden is very early in the morning, or about an hour before the sun goes down.

There was a male monarch butterfly that followed me around the garden feasting on the nectar of many different colored zinnias. It loved the white and the orange flowers.

The zinnia is a wonderful flower to add to a butterfly garden. Butterflies of every species loves the nectar. The best part is it is among the easiest plants to grow. The best part is it constantly produces more seeds to continue a steady new growth in the garden.

It was rewarding to spend time in the garden, as we both co-existence almost side by side.

A monarch kind of day

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Honestly, what’s better than taking a stroll through the garden and seeing the lifecycle of a butterfly unfold right before your eyes?

There was a monarch butterfly stopping on the giant milkweed, and then scattered throughout were caterpillars having a feast on the leaves.