Well, I'm back home in North Carolina after my trip up to the Northeast. Of course one of the first things a gardener does when they get home is check the garden. (Is everything still alive? Have I lost any more plants to my
serial killer Vole? No? Phew!!)
Then I wonder, did the Monarch butterfly I
saw up in New Jersey beat me back home? Who won the race? Are there any Monarchs in the garden? Well, I don't see any orange and black butterflies fluttering around in the garden in a taunting manner, but I do spy something possibly even better.........
baby Monarchs!
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| Monarch caterpillars on milkweed |
A monarch has laid eggs on my milkweed plants, and now I have several little hungry caterpillar babies enjoying the feast. The monarch must have visited just last week - it only takes
3 to 5 days for an egg to hatch, and my caterpillars were still pretty young. With any luck, some of these caterpillars will grow up to be butterflies and take their place in the yearly pilgrimage to the
mountains of central Mexico to spend the winter.
Ah, but what is this flying into the garden?
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| Monarch butterfly on butterfly bush |
You haven't by chance just flown in from New Jersey, have you?
Either way, having a monarch here in my garden is a win!
linking with
Mosaic Monday
