Childhood memories can be deceiving. We might remember events slightly different than how they actually occurred or we might only remember bits and pieces of events. Sometimes touchstone moments bring clarity or intensity to a memory so that it is forever with us. For me one such moment was playing at my Uncle Mert and Aunt June’s farm in Huntley when I was about 5. I loved to run and try to catch butterflies. As I was running, I fell and rolled all the way down a big hill that was near their home. The scar on my knee always reminds me of an idyllic time; chasing butterflies and summer time.
Monarch Butterflies migrate each year from the United States to Mexico in the fall and back again in the spring. As millions of butterflies migrate, they are in need of places of shelter and food. A Monarch butterfly goes through 4 stages of life. In February or March, the hibernating Monarch butterflies mate and then migrate north to find a place to lay their eggs. The eggs are laid on milkweed plants in March or April. When these eggs hatch, a baby caterpillar emerges. It eats the milkweed, and after about 2 weeks, the caterpillar will be fully grown. It attaches itself to a leaf to start the process of metamorphosis while inside a chrysalis. After about 10 days, a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. The butterfly then spends 2 to 6 weeks eating nectar from various flowers before the process starts over again. Four generations of butterflies are produced each year.
This entire process is dependent upon the availability of milkweed and nectar from flowers. Unfortunately, the population of Monarch butterflies has declined by 95% since the 1990s. This can be attributed to a change in farming practices that include the use of genetically modified crops, roadside management practices that include the use of herbicides, and the development of land that was once a habitat for Monarch butterflies.
Developing Monarch butterfly way stations are a way that we can assist in increasing the number of Monarch butterflies in our area. A Monarch way station simply means planting perennial and annual flowers that Monarch butterflies need to survive and reproduce. There are three types of milkweed can be planted. They are Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), and Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). These are the plants that are necessary for the butterflies while they are in the egg and the caterpillar stage. While in the butterfly stage, many flowers can be a source of nectar for the butterflies. Some of those types include; Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Blazing star (Liatris), Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Asters (Aster), Sage (Salvia), and Zinnia.
Perhaps if we all do a small part in increasing the numbers of Monarch butterflies our children can have the same great memories that we have of summertime, outdoors, and butterflies.
The Sunflower Garden Club of Sun City will be having a Garden Walk on Saturday, June 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Ten gardens will be featured during this amazing event. These gardens are the culmination of hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of work by some incredibly talented gardeners. I highly recommend that you consider purchasing a ticket and touring these gardens. The $5 tickets can be purchased before hand from June Ann Cooney. Mrs. Cooney can be reached at 847-669-1406. You can also purchase them on the day of the event. A table will be set up near the CAM desk at the Prairie Lodge. June 27th is the rain date for this event. Consider inviting a family member or a friend to enjoy this wonderful event with you.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
