Archives for February 2022

Discovering Joy in a Garden

I have a sincere appreciation and understanding of the importance of being a guardian for the world we share with other humans, animals, and plants. My great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother were lifelong gardeners. My biggest memories are being at their side as they took care of flower and vegetable gardens. I had dreamed of becoming a master gardener but due to the years I spent working full time as a registered nurse, I was unable to attempt to complete a certification. After I retired in 2021, I was able to fulfill that dream!  Hagerman National Wildlife Reserve and the Butterfly Gardens quickly became one of my inspiring service projects. With the assistance of our project leader, my fellow interns, and other master gardeners, my knowledge of flowers bloomed as did my love specifically for butterflies. The beauty, the environmental impact, and the ecological importance of the need to encourage and support our pollinators quickly became a priority for me. I became inspired to create similar gardens in my own yard. It was an easy decision to attempt to encourage all pollinators and in particular, Monarchs to reside in my future garden.                                                                                   

I had previously encountered three Monarch caterpillars; however, I assumed these were unwanted pests in my flower garden. Happily, those caterpillars were gone the next day. Due to my lack of knowledge, I was woefully unaware those odd-looking pests were waiting to become the magnificent Monarch.                                                                                                                                                                        With the knowledge gained through my research and fellow master gardeners, I began the plant selection to start my butterfly garden. Specific native plants were chosen from my local nursery. I chose a spot in my yard that faced east but had the shade in the afternoon. I chose lantana as a nectar plant and milkweed which is the host plant for the Monarch butterfly as well as a provider of nectar. Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias Tuberosa ) is a low to medium-growing perennial native to Texas. It grows 1-2 feet tall and wide with the beautiful yellow/orange clusters of flowers at the top of the stems, blooming from early spring thru late autumn in my garden. This native plant is drought tolerant and not only a host for the Monarch but also nectar-seeking pollinators of all types enjoy this plant. Soon I noticed numerous Monarchs floating in my garden. Then I spotted their eggs and subsequently, the tiny caterpillars began devouring almost every milkweed plant I had.  As they grew, becoming larger and going through their life cycle, I made the decision to attempt to assist with increasing our Monarch populations by recovering them from predators in the garden, allowing them to pupate and eclose in my prepared enclosures. By the fall of 2021, thirty-one Monarch butterflies had been born and released back into the garden to enjoy the nectar of the plant that had given them life, the butterfly weed (Asclepias Tuberosa).                                                                                                                                                                                                             In autumn, the seed pods started to appear. As they formed, they were green in color, becoming brown pods as the seeds mature. I watched carefully for the seed pod formation because I wanted to harvest the mature seeds to dry and eventually replant. Initially, I waited too long to collect the pods. They split open and blew away on the soft, cotton material that allows them to fly through the air to land and hopefully grow in unknown locations.     As my dreams grow, my gardening plans for 2022 include increasing the size of the pollinator, butterfly garden with the hope of seeing these glorious creatures and other pollinators increasing their populations. Pollinators are absolutely essential to creating and maintaining habitats and ecosystems as well as assisting with the reproduction abilities of many plants.