Here in Southern California in January, despite some temps dipping into the 20s, I'm still seeing monarch butterflies in our yard, helped by some of our milkweed that manages to stay alive. I posted an article in October about how our tropical milkweed finally attracted monarch caterpillars. I'm …
“Good” Weeds for Butterflies and More on our Native Pollinators
This is a follow-up to my post on Attracting Butterflies and Pollinators to our Yards - more takeaways from San Diego area speakers Moe Magoski and Michael Klein, plus photos of pollinators, important butterfly plants we might consider weeds, and some resources. First, Klein shared stats about …
Continue Reading about “Good” Weeds for Butterflies and More on our Native Pollinators
Attracting Pollinators and Butterflies to our Yards
Who doesn’t want more butterflies in their yards? You need nectar plants of course. But if you want to watch all the butterfly stages -- which means your plant’s leaves will get eaten by the growing caterpillars -- you need to include specific host plants, such as milkweed for monarchs, or thistle …
Continue Reading about Attracting Pollinators and Butterflies to our Yards
Milkweed and Monarchs – Finally!
Note: See comments below for discussion on native vs tropical milkweeds We planted a couple milkweed (Asclepius curassavica or tropical) plants three years ago. But - no monarchs or caterpillars. The last six months the milkweed thrived and climbed seven feet up into our magnolia tree, and also …
A Potpourri Post: Lizard Update, Beetles and Frustrating Grasses
With summer in full force in our yard, there's a variety of subjects on my mind, including missing lizards, mating beetles and even something for plant lovers - so I thought I would provide an update on previous subjects I've written about. Painted Lady: Part of the Circle of Life I had a number …
Continue Reading about A Potpourri Post: Lizard Update, Beetles and Frustrating Grasses
Snakes!
An article I wrote about rats, snakes and bees appeared today in our local paper. Since I gave an update about rat poison and wildlife last month, let's talk snakes. I like snakes. I know I'm unusual in this, perhaps because I didn't have brothers that terrorized me with them (real or not), and …