Lawn and Garden 2022

[RVInit]

I forgot to check for the gardening thread on the new Fogbow. I'm restoring my mother's butterfly garden, which fell into quite a state over the past few years with nobody taking care of it. I lived too far away and my sisters were helping Mom with the house, but not doing anything with the yard. I couldn't find a single one of her paving stones before I started. Her entire back yard was filled mostly with native shrubs, flowers, vines, and groundcovers, but the trees were put in by the developer. Thank goodness they are native. She has two longleaf pines, a live oak, laurel oak, and she put in a red maple. The leaves covered everything and choked out the groundcover, most of the flowering plants, the vines were a mess, and basically just a smattering of butterflies here and there were visiting. I found a huge amount of pipevine laying on the ground, so I build a 5 foot tall, 6 foot long fence with two by fours and pulled the pipevine off the ground and got it growing on the fencing. Now it's growing like crazy and we have lots of pipevine caterpillars and butterflies handing around our yard.

We were really short on nectar plants as most of what survived are butterfly host plants for the caterpillars. I remembered my mother had a golden dewdrop that the zebra longwings loved. I found golden dewdrop at Home Depot today and brought one home and zebra longwings are all over that thing. Took them about 3 minutes to discover it. I will post some photos later after my phone charges and as the garden progresses. I'm seeing more and more butterflies every day. Lots of Monarchs flying around, laying eggs, eventually getting more and more Monarchs. Gulf fritillaries, zebra longwings, pipevine, giant swallowtails, and others are visiting. Feeling satisfied so far.

[RTH10260]

I forgot to check for the gardening thread on the new Fogbow.

Hint: time has moved on and there is 2023 version on this subjet

[RVInit]

I forgot to check for the gardening thread on the new Fogbow.

Hint: time has moved on and there is 2023 version on this subjet

Thanks! I will look for it.

[MsDaisy 2]

I forgot to check for the gardening thread on the new Fogbow.

Hint: time has moved on and there is 2023 version on this subjet

Thanks! I will look for it.

I looked for it and couldn't find it.

I have these guys growing in my kitchen porch garden and have no idea what they are but they are about to bloom. They must be a gift from the birds, I'm looking forward to seeing the blooms. Anyone have an idea what these guys are?

IMG_4529.jpeg (52.21 KiB) Viewed 252 times

IMG_4530.jpeg (40.74 KiB) Viewed 252 times

[RTH10260]

BUT... But.... but....... it's here:

was - Lawn and Gardening 2023

Lawn and Garden 2023

[bill_g]

I looked for it and couldn't find it.

I have these guys growing in my kitchen porch garden and have no idea what they are but they are about to bloom. They must be a gift from the birds, I'm looking forward to seeing the blooms. Anyone have an idea what these guys are?

IMG_4529.jpeg
IMG_4530.jpeg

Purple milkweed according to Plant ID / Wiki.

It's a beneficial. Supports butterflies and other pollinators. Can be invasive if allowed. Can be an indicator of compacted soil with low organic matter. ie: a good flower bed for tall vars like daisies, but not someplace you could grow carrots.

[MsDaisy 2]

I looked for it and couldn't find it.

I have these guys growing in my kitchen porch garden and have no idea what they are but they are about to bloom. They must be a gift from the birds, I'm looking forward to seeing the blooms. Anyone have an idea what these guys are?

IMG_4529.jpeg
IMG_4530.jpeg

Purple milkweed according to Plant ID / Wiki.

It's a beneficial. Supports butterflies and other pollinators. Can be invasive if allowed. Can be an indicator of compacted soil with low organic matter. ie: a good flower bed for tall vars like daisies, but not someplace you could grow carrots.

Thanks

[AndyinPA]

Could be a different variety, but edible. We just ate at a vegan restaurant and my son had wild-picked milkweed with some sort of dumpling (also vegan), so not probably your usual dumpling, too. My son thought it was delicious, and he's not vegan.