Greetings, dear pond supporters! Today I'm sharing an update on my butterfly yard. As I've written before here and at my main blog, Technicolor Lily Pond, I endeavor to keep my patch of land a stopover for monarch butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
It has taken many tries, much plant death, and tears but the native plants are growing and hosting the creatures that I want to help. Below, is the third or fourth monarch butterfly to stop by this summer. I'm thrilled to bits that I've seen so many that I'm now losing track of the exact number.
I walked out my door and there it was! A wild monarch enjoying my blooming butterfly weed. I sang an Alleluia and took pictures.
Tuesday brought an even more exciting development: the first wild monarch butterfly caterpillar that I've ever spotted in my yard. I immediately texted my best butterfly friend and started showing this little beauty to everyone I could. I guess that if you plant milkweed, they really will come.
Finally, my wild bee house is sporting some important tenets. I will post more about them next time but here is a brief action shot:
If you look closely, you can see a beautiful mason wasp living in the middle.
How about you, dear pond supporters, any fun experiences with pollinators like these that you'd like to share? Please leave a comment or question or content request below. Thank you for supporting my creativity.