Lemon Coral Sedum

My new favorite plant!

Monarch butterfly takes a trip

Today I attended the Monarch butterfly release at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. This particular butterfly's migration journey was much different than the usual route. Maraleen Manos-Jones, who advocated on the butterflies behalf, was able to obtain a free ticket on Southwest Airlines for her and the beautiful insect from Albany, NY to San Antonio, TX. Camera crews from local news stations covered the event. Thank goodness the butterfly survived the flight in good condition. This was definitely a win-win for all parties who participated in the event. I'm sure Southwest Airlines got a ton of free PR and Maraleen was able to bring awareness to the struggles the Monarchs are facing.  Luckily, this little butterfly is closer to its winter migration home.

While driving home, I reflected on my encounters with Monarchs. I remember in the mid 70's being in Harlingen, TX during peak migration time. There were hundreds and hundreds of butterflies everywhere. Now I see so few of them that they are a special treat when spotted in my garden. On my way home, I noticed a parcel of land being turned over by bulldozers. To some, the plants might look like weeds, however I've noticed thistles, sunflowers and white mistflowers growing in this spot. All are important butterfly nectar and host plants. As more and more butterfly habitat is being destroyed by impeding climate change, drought and increased pesticide usage, it remains harder and harder for butterflies to survive. Even with my little butterfly garden, I see how hard it is for the life cycle to be completed. Thanks to wasps, I haven't had any Monarch caterpillars survive past the first instar stage. 

Even though I just have four Milkweed plants and some Gregg's Blue Mistflower, I'm amazed at how many butterflies these plants attract. I'm so glad to help these struggling creatures and ensure the species for future generations to enjoy them.

What can you do to help the Monarch butterflies?

1.) Plant host and nectar plants, including Milkweed and Gregg's Blue Mistflower

2.) Join Monarch Watch and create a Monarch waystation in your garden.

3.) Do not use any pesticides in your garden.

4.) Check out Monika Maeckle's blog Texas Butterfly Ranch

5.) Start a butterfly forum in your area. Did you know that Austin has a butterfly forum, but San Antonio does not. Hmmmm:)

If you plant it, they will come

Top Left to Right: Bottlebrush, Firecracker Fern. Bottom Left to Right: Coral Honeysuckle, Turk's Cap.

This morning I witnessed two hummingbirds fighting over the new blooms on the Bottlebrush bush. The purpose of planting this bush was to lure them in. Nice when you plan things for your garden and they actually work out. There has been an increase in the number of hummingbirds this year in my garden. I've never seen Ruby-Throated hummingbirds so early on in the season before migration. Not sure if the hot weather in the plains states has anything to do with it. It could be the increased number of hummingbird plants I've included in my garden this year. As much as I love pink and blue blooms, I try to include lots of red blooms for the hummers. In addition to the plants above, I've also seen them feeding on my Black and Blue sage/salvia.

They also love the Coral Vine I planted, along with the bees.

Are there any plants the hummingbirds tend to favor in your garden? 

For more information on attracting hummingbirds to your garden, please check out Hill Country Mysteries post on creating a hummingbird hotspot.