Although we are still waiting to see evidence of the Monarch population in our milkweed garden, the Press Enterprise just published an article that they are emerging.
We are so excited to have been a part of helping the Monarch population. We estimated at least 150 releases this year and there are still chrysalises and caterpillars in our garden.
Here are a couple of articles:
NBCNEWS.COM – After record low, monarch butterflies return to California
THE MERCURY NEWS – Monarchs flourish in rare Bay Area butterfly breeding boom
We are so very blessed to have this beautiful Monarch Butterfly protected habitat. If you’ve never seen the progression here are some pictures for you to enjoy.
Freshly laid eggItty bitty caterpillar… can you see it?As the caterpillar gets bigger it will eventually start to turn into a J and form a chrysalis around itself.When the chrysalis starts turning black, we know that a butterfly will soon enter our world
We are so excited to see the Monarch Butterflies coming back to enjoy our butterfly garden. Board member Rose was gracious enough to bring some caterpillars from her garden to ours since we weren’t seeing any and she had an abundance. They almost immediately went into a chrysalis stage and we are awaiting the release.
This year, we have a gate around the garden that they are forming on and we have decided to let nature take it’s course rather than bringing them inside. They look like they’re doing a pretty good job of camouflaging themselves. We’ll keep you updated on their progress.
Over the winter I watched squirrels burry peanuts in our butterfly garden, never thinking they would sprout. Surprisingly enough, as I was pulling weeds, I pulled one that had PEANUTS as it’s roots! I was so excited to see so many more still planted. I looked it up and can’t wait to see the final results. Thanks squirrels!
If you’re interested in the video I watched, click here.
Has Mother Nature gifted you with any unexpected foliage? We’d love to see it.
The sun is shining, the birds are building, and the foliage is blooming. We have the first buds starting on the apple trees and aphids have already found the milkweed. Ladybugs are in short supply and we are looking for any leads on LARGE quantity of live lady bugs.
We are happy to report that a few ladybugs have found their way to our milkweed but with the amount of aphids we’re seeing, we need a whole army. Local suppliers seem to be out and we are wary of having ladybugs shipped and end up arriving dead. Do you have a lead on ladybugs? Let us know so we can help keep our Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary free of aphids without using anything that will harm the butterflies or their larvae.
Be a part of the solution to create beautiful Monarch butterfly sanctuary gardens.
PCWD is proud to be a supporter, grower, and protector of the Monarch Butterfly society. As such, we have purchased milkweed seeds (common variety Ascelepias syriaca) and are happy to distribute them to our customers while supplies last. These milkweed seeds are the key to our monarch’s survival and will grow almost anywhere. If you have availability to plant these 8-12″ apart in 1/2″ of moist light soil in a sunny, well drained spot, come on in to get your seeds! Milkweed takes 3-4 weeks to germinate and 60 days until it’s full grown. Plant as many seeds as you can: one caterpillar will eat 20-25 leaves!
There is no doubt that mulching builds soil, reduces the need to water, and helps control weeds. But what does it do to protect plants from the cold? In many climates, perennials will survive just fine without any protection. In cold areas, snow is an excellent insulator; it keeps plants underground at a temperature around freezing and protects them from the worst of winter conditions. If we could be sure that there would be a good layer of snow throughout winter, our gardens wouldn’t experience many problems at all. Without snow or other mulch in tough winter months, however, plants may suffer heaving and freezing, which can damage their root systems.
The best time to apply winter mulch is just after the first hard frost. By putting mulch down at this time, you will help stabilize the temperature of the soil right around freezing. Applying mulch too soon may delay freezing and encourage heaving and thawing. Applying it too late may cause the roots of plants to experience temperatures below that which they can handle.
Pine bark or wood chips are the best mulches; they enrich soil as they degrade. A layer of mulch about 4 to 6 inches deep over the plants works well. Most perennials will pop through the mulch in spring. If the plants are young, small, or newly planted in fall, you may need to clear some of the mulch in spring so that the plants can emerge without difficulty through the winter protection.
Organic mulches cushion the soil from compaction and erosion caused by heavy winter rains while safeguarding the soil’s storehouse of nutrients. In addition, winter mulches can enhance the cold tolerance of perennial vegetables, herbs and fruits, helping to insure a strong comeback in spring.
Recently laid wood chips to keep the roots nice and cozy
The what, why, how, and where
What are woodchips? Woodchips are small pieces of wood.
Why would I want woodchips in my garden design? The most common way of using woodchips for gardening is to spread them on the ground as mulch.
How? It is important to remember that, as with any permaculture technique, every site is different and every plant species has its own unique requirements. You may find woodchip mulching in one part of your site does not work, while in another place it does wonders. • Spread the woodchip mulch at least 2-3 inches deep • Plant seedlings in the soil just below the woodchips • It may be too difficult to move the woodchip layer for seeds which are small or closely spaced, such as carrots, beetroots, spinach, and onions, so maybe use a different mulch material if you are planning to grow these kind of crops • Squash grow particularly well in woodchips
Where can you get woodchips? We currently have a large pile at our Dutch Flats location that Pine Cove residents can go and gather as much as they’d like for free. Special for December – have a truckload delivered for only $100
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