It’s A Cycle… ☀️🌱🌼

I have shown you some of my gardens and some of the DIY projects I have done in the garden to create a little haven for myself and the  butterflies. 

Just to have an awesome butterfly garden the cycle in which you have to keep up with is kinda crazy.

My mission was to save the butterflies and keep them around our canyon. Apparently in Southern California there has been a shortage of butterflies. I haven’t noticed much but I’m willing to do my part in the effort to keep them around! So here’s a little bit about how that process has been going for me.

To have butterflies you need flowers. They prefer Milkweed from what I have been told so that’s why I have been growing so much!

Here’s a pic of how one of the babies has been doing! It has gotten so big and has even begun to make a seed pod! In order to keep you Milkweed alive you will most likely need some ladybugs. They kill the afids. The evil little tiny green bugs that eat the leaves and everything else on all pretty plants. Also, fun fact ants love afids. Not to eat but they walk up behind them nibble on the afid’s bottom and eat the juice that comes out. It’s gross to watch. Hense why I do not have a photo of this happening. That’s where the Lady Bug Hotel gets involved. Lady bugs need a home to stick around. They need fresh water, shade and a comfy spot they don’t want to leave and also endless amounts of food. This is an older photo of when I just put the hotel up! Butterflies also will cacoon into the Milkweed once it becomes big enough but watch out! That’s when the large Praying Mantis will come along and once they hatch will then take the caterpillars and rip them apart and eat their insides… this is not a photo from my garden of this happening but my mother in laws where she has a whole mess of Milkweed growing! Another gross thing but thisni have photos of because I couldn’t help myself… So far I have had a couple lady bugs come by and take care of some things but my Milkweed has not grown enough to be needing them 24-7.

But once again I’ll keep you updated on how it’s all going. 🙂

Learning. Living. Growing.

Emily A K