Have you SEEN this guy? He is like the ugly drunk uncle who calls you names, stays until the end of the party, and doesn't help to clean up. He just makes you sweep under his feet and prop his head so he doesn't fall on the floor. I swear to all greenness, this guy is a real nuisance. Mulching doesn't help. He climbs right through it like a knife through buttah. He tangles in my flowers. He makes the grass look horrible, and he. never. ever. goes. away.
And those freakin' little maple seedlings? Remember that day early May when the helicopters fell like rain and covered the sidewalks? And now they have reproduced like rabbits in my flower beds. I must kill them, Kill them ALL! I confess to getting some satisfaction from pulling those suckers right out of the ground. Ahhhh,,, that's better.
Now, back to the part of nature that I love. Native plants. I've recently joined INPAWS (Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society), and am learning tons of facts about the green life around us. Here is one example. You've all heard about monarch butterflies and how they return to a certain spot in Mexico every year.
Isn't that an amazing sight? Well, in order to complete their life cycle, they must lay eggs. And the only thing they like to do that on is milkweed. I've been watching for milkweed plants to stick their heads up above the waving grasses along the roadsides now for a few weeks, and in the last two weeks, milkweed have been blooming in our area.
This is like crack to monarchs. My new friend, Reni, of Tippecanoe County, has instructed me on how to get started growing milkweed for monarchs. She's been successful at it, and I'd like to give it a go. So, if you have a patch near your house, or you , ahem,,, acquire some pods from the side of the road (just take one pod from a plant), and give them to me, I'll get some started in the spring in my greenhouse. We can make Montgomery County a way station for monarchs! If you have some milkweed near you, or stop to look, watch for tiny holes or munched areas where the caterpillars have been chewing. Leave the cat, and wonder at the miracle of life. That caterpillar will eventually turn into a monarch, and travel farther that you probably ever have.
Also, since becoming more interested in wild flowers and such,,, I have my eye on the roadside every time I go out now. Do you keep watch on the changing flora growing in the ditches and alongside the roads? This week I've noticed low yellow flowers on some ditch sides. In some places in Tipp. County, they are growing together into a ground covering blanket of pretty yellow flowers. I have no idea what they are. I also have noticed areas where "Pheasants Forever" or some other group have been planting wildflower seeds. Lafayette has done a great job of planting wildflowers in the ditches. So, if you see an unmown patch of "weeds," and think, "wow, they need to mow the roadsides," look closer. You may see many wildflowers that need to be there for bees, butterflies, other insects, and some animals for food. Just don't drive off the road while looking.
Keep your boots on, Lucy, it's still raining!
Dirt up!
Dianne
What a fun post! 👧🏻
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