For Nature, For Wildlife

Paybackraid’s Not-So-Secret Gardening Blog. Gardening for wildlife, for bees and butterflies, for myself. Zone 4-3b

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

You can barely see him, but my milkweed is finally doing its job! There’s a (single) monarch caterpillar on my milkweed plant!

I did bring him inside so I could protect him until he turns into a butterfly. His name is Frederick

And only a day later, it’s started!

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

He’s built a chrysalis!

He did the actual building in. About 3-4 hours. When I last checked on him he was a normal acrobatic caterpillar, now he’s entirely self-contained

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

He’s all grown up!

His wings have to dry off before being released, but maybe later today!

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

You can barely see him, but my milkweed is finally doing its job! There’s a (single) monarch caterpillar on my milkweed plant!

I did bring him inside so I could protect him until he turns into a butterfly. His name is Frederick

And only a day later, it’s started!

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

He’s built a chrysalis!

He did the actual building in. About 3-4 hours. When I last checked on him he was a normal acrobatic caterpillar, now he’s entirely self-contained

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

He’s all grown up!

His wings have to dry off before being released, but maybe later today!

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

You can barely see him, but my milkweed is finally doing its job! There’s a (single) monarch caterpillar on my milkweed plant!

I did bring him inside so I could protect him until he turns into a butterfly. His name is Frederick

And only a day later, it’s started!

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

He’s built a chrysalis!

He did the actual building in. About 3-4 hours. When I last checked on him he was a normal acrobatic caterpillar, now he’s entirely self-contained

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

You can barely see him, but my milkweed is finally doing its job! There’s a (single) monarch caterpillar on my milkweed plant!

I did bring him inside so I could protect him until he turns into a butterfly. His name is Frederick

And only a day later, it’s started!

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

This dahlia flower is giving me EMOTIONS i DONT KNOW what to do with

[milkweed-and-beebalm]

A few years ago I continued with a small vegetable garden my sister had put in, just to see how it felt. Putting my fingers back in some dirt and growing something with my own two hands was the most amazing feeling in the world, so the following year I stuck a few native plants into a patch of dirt a tree used to live in. Since then I’ve added three more gardens; all of them floral, all of them pollinator-friendly, almost all of them native. I’m planning on adding one or two more yet, too.

I’m still a beginning gardener, so I’m just interested in documenting what I’m learning, finding, and succeeding in. My vegetable garden is still small, my plants are still getting eaten alive by deer and rabbits, I’m just doing my best and having a little fun.