My Mum was a great gardener, and growing up as townie kids this was our front yard. It was filled with dahlias, and annual seedlings that Mum would grow in a big seedbed in our back yard. She would grow Asters, Zinnias, Cosmos, Ageratum, and Marigolds.......lots of Marigolds......both French (small growing) and African (tall ones). And every year we would wait for the beautiful Monarch Butterflies to arrive and feed on the nectar from the Marigolds.
Dozens of them would visit.......a sight that I haven't seen for over 40 years. For the Monarch Butterflies to breed, they must lay their eggs on Milkweed plants.....also known as Swan Plants, and then the caterpillars feast on the leaves and shoots. Our neighbours in Timboon (on the top side in the photo) had a plant growing in front yard.....and you can see it under the window. We thought that they had such fun seed pods, and we would sometimes sneak in and pick a couple to take home......lol!
Fast forward to a few years ago when I bought some seeds for a variety of Milkweed called Hairy Balls. I germinated the seeds in my hothouse, grew them on and then planted them in my garden. I waited and waited, hoping that with the introduction of these plants into my garden, the Monarch Butterflies find their way to me. They grew for the first season, flowered but no seed pods formed, and no butterflies appeared. Last season they grew, flowered, had beautiful big Hairy Ball seed pods, but again no butterflies appeared.
Then it happened........back on the 10th January, whilst sitting on the front verandah, I was so excited to see a beautiful Monarch Butterfly flitting around the Milkweed bushes, laying her eggs on the underside of the leaves. Three weeks later the caterpillars had hatched and were well on their journey to become butterflies themselves. It always amazes me how they can transform into something completely different.
Their bold strips are a warning to any would be predators that they are not some tasty treat to eat, this is due to their diet of Milkweed leaves and the sap that they contain.
I have been spending a lot of time watching them as they devour the leaves, and the count of 19 caterpillars gave me hope that I would see many more Monarch Butterflies in my garden. I went away for a couple of days early last week, and on returning home, immediately went to check up on my striped friends. I was stunned to find just two caterpillars left, and looked carefully for the chrysalis, that I had hoped that they transformed in to. But I couldn't see any sight of them, and later that afternoon the last two caterpillars had also disappeared. I am hoping that they have crawled away somewhere safe to spend the next cycle of their lives.
I had once again given up hope, when just a few days later this beautiful lady appeared.
She spent time leaf hopping and laying her eggs. I know that a lot of people gather, feed and keep the caterpillars in enclosures so that they remain safe........something I think I will do should this next lot of eggs hatch.
My plan for next season is to germinate and grow lots more Hairy Ball plants, (and Marigolds), and plant them around in my garden. They may not be the most attractive looking plant, but I do love them.....and so do the Monarch Butterflies!
Linda :)