Re: bees and butterflies
- To:
- Subject: Re: bees and butterflies
- From: S*
- Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 12:32:30 -0600
>
>If you want butterflies you must plants swamp milkweed, ASCLEPIAS
incarnata.
>They love this sweet smelling plant. It does very well in the landscape if
>watered every once in a while, the only problems I have had with them is
the
>Monarch Butterflies want to lay their eggs on them.
>Another group of plants butterflies love are the upright growing sedum's.
>
>Paul Henjum
>Specialty Perennials
>Zone 4
>Minnesota
>http://hardyplants.com
>
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I had so many butterflies in my yard last year it looked like a swarm of
gnats! Except they were big and pretty.
With the Monarch butterfly, I removed the caterpillars to an insect cage my
son had when he was little. It is just a plastic square case with a
removable top and air holes. It is available in the reptile sections of
stores.
Then I removed the leaves of the plant so as not to detract from its
appearance. I placed the box on top of my computer hutch with the leaves
that I changed daily. I put a little lid with water in it for them if they
needed it.
After a short while they quit eating and spun a cocoon and in a few weeks
started to hatch. I then released them and all was well again.
It seems like zinnia, butterfly weed, and cosmos, just about anything was
covered in butterflies. I think mass plantings of anything will attract
them. I also had gobs of ladybugs to control the aphids! Beginners luck,
maybe.
Windy
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