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Thread: Where are the butterflies?

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    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Where are the butterflies?

    The focus of my garden is pollinators. I have a small butterfly garden complete with small fountain but no visitors. Is it too early or too hot or too few or ?

    Is my garden lacking something?IMG_0134.jpg
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by razz View Post
    The focus of my garden is pollinators. I have a small butterfly garden complete with small fountain but no visitors. Is it too early or too hot or too few or ?

    Is my garden lacking something?IMG_0134.jpg
    what a cheerful butterfly garden!

    I dont inow where they are, though. My earliest sighting was a tiger swallowtail in April. I was surprised to see that one, but I dont know the migratory habits of yellow swallowtails so dont inow where it came from. It was handing around open lilacs.

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    Is it a new garden? maybe they haven't found their way there yet?

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    Moderator Float On's Avatar
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    Beautiful! I'm in the process of building a 40' berm butterfly garden. I hope g I seed and add plants this fall. I've seen some but you are right. Less than most years. Same with hummingbirds. I only have 3 feeders out this summer and usually have 8. Everyone on the hummingbird migration Facebook group is crying "fewer" this year. I'm hoping more butterflies show up late july-sept. I think it's just another victim of the chemicals put into lawns/farms.

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    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    I think the butterfly population can be pretty inconsistent. We used to have so many, we had to dodge them. Then, for the past couple of years, we've hardly had any (even with tons of milkweed, etc. everywhere). But I'm encouraged this year (at least in central Indiana), because I'm seeing more than I have in the recent past. Do you offer water close by? You might also add a slice of watermelon close by. I've heard they like wet sand to sit in and drink. I do think our seasons are changing and things are delayed a month or 2 these days. Don't give up.

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    I will try the watermelon idea, cool.
    We've had a lot, saw a monarch yesterday. I had a bunch of valerian grow back from last year and they all love it.

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    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    I think I've had the best luck with Joe Pye Weed. I have a bunch of coneflowers too, which they like, and it also serves as food for gold finches.
    What would we do without birds and butterflies?

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    Senior Member KayLR's Avatar
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    I liked the watermelon idea until I thought another 10 seconds...then I remembered: yellowjackets. Ugh. I've seen a number of monarchs and several other types this year the number of which I hadn't seen before. My plants have been in place for about 3 years. I have hyssop, liatris, rudbeckia, and lots of lavender and other.

    The wildlife botanical garden here has a butterfly garden with a sipping area. It's got a flat stone next to a small gravel, mud and sand dished-out space.
    Last edited by KayLR; 7-6-18 at 2:49pm.
    My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    I have lots of bumblebees, lots! I like seeing them slowly lumber around my flower heads, buzzing and sitting. I find bumblebees calming.

    Our nextdoor neighbors, ones whose house touches ours, installed a hive of honey bees a few weeks ago. They told us they were doing it and it is fine with us. I havent seen their bees in my yard, but this morning I observed their bees taking off and coming back in, about a dozen at any one time. It was interesting.

  10. #10
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    razz,

    You have a smashing butterfly garden there. Perhaps it is an atypical summer in your neck of the woods. Here we have scads of butterflies this summer.

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