I have been traveling a lot and so am tardy in sharing some very good news. I’ve heard from wildlife gardeners near and far that their milkweed patches have been discovered by egg-laying Monarchs. Caterpillars are still being found, lots of caterpillars! Chrysalises too, like the one above that I enjoyed today in Virginia Rettig’s lovely North Cape May wildlife garden!
Today I stopped at the West Cape May Elementary School to see their “Schoolyard Habitat” and was thrilled to find their thriving Common Milkweed patch with at least 5 Monarch chrysalises on the brick school and in under steps of wooden ladders placed near the garden (for just that purpose — a safe spot off the beaten path). Hopefully more and more schools will create and utilize outdoor wildlife gardens like this to connect students with the natural world.
Display at CMBO Northwood Center on 9-25-16
I also stopped by the Cape May Bird Observatory’s Northwood Center (701 E. Lake Drive, Cape May Point, NJ) and was dazzled by their Monarch Migration display and by their terrariums full of hungry caterpillars and chrysalises!
Don’t miss the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project’s fun opportunities to learn about Monarchs this fall:
MONARCH TANK TALK
Fridays: Sept. 23, 30, and Oct. 7
10:00 to 10:15 a.m.
At the CMBO Northwood Center (701 E. Lake Drive, Cape May Point, NJ) . Free.
MONARCH TAGGING DEMOS
Every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, & Wednesday
Sept. 14 through October 16 (weather permitting)
2:00 to 2:45 p.m.
Meets at Cape May Point State Park at the East Shelter, the picnic pavilion next to the Hawkwatch Platform. No preregistration required. Family-friendly. FREE.
To keep your finger on the pulse of the Monarch migration through Cape May this fall, go to the Monarch Monitoring Project BLOG.
As many of you know I have written many posts about Monarchs and Milkweeds for “Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens.” I’d love to share the links with you here so that you can do more reading, but sadly that lovely website is no longer.
I can’t wait to once again teach the series of 6 in-depth
“Gardening for Wildlife” Workshops (pdf) on select Saturdays and Sundays February 27 – March 19, 2016,
the perfect time to shake off winter and begin planning and planting (or enhancing) your property and wildlife garden.
Every walk down the garden path is full of wonder, here 4 Monarch caterpillars on Swamp Milkweed
Learn to create gardens and habitats in little time, save money (by encouraging seed production rather than hampering it with traditional gardening practices), and see long-term results (by implementing wildlife-friendly garden practices rather than traditional wildlife death-trap practices).
Many (1000s) have taken these workshops, been empowered, and created habitats that have given them pleasure for years to come.
If you have taken one of these workshops with me and would like to share a one-liner (or more) about them that might help others realize their value, I’d be most grateful. Add your comment(s) in the comment section following this post (I may use your comments as I continue to promote these workshops, so THANKS).
There is nothing more special than stepping out the door into a habitat that YOU created, a habitat that fills up with wildlife visitors galore: hummingbirds, butterflies, caterpillars, chrysalises, dragonflies, ladybugs, many different native bees, beetles and other fun pollinators, songbirds, frogs, turtles, moths at night, and more! Every walk down your garden path is full of wonder, learning, delight, awe . . . almost like traveling to an exotic land, but that exotic place is your own back (or front) yard. There is nothing more gratifying than knowing that you provide safe haven for all these creatures.
Hummingbird amidst Sutton’s late fall garden of still-blooming asters and salvias
Consider joining me for one, several, or all six of these workshops (discounted fees when you sign up for 3 or more workshops). Native plants and wildlife-friendly practices are the key and will be emphasized and detailed throughout.
I present a zillion one- to two-hour programs each year and maybe you’ve attended a few of these. I love teaching them, but (with only one or two hours) they are more one-sided presentations, me sharing fun natural history information and images with you, the audience.
These full-day workshops offer the opportunity to be far more in-depth and interactive and are more likely to empower you, take you to the next level. Educate yourself. Don’t count on landscapers or nursery owners; sadly many of them are not well informed about native plants and wildlife gardening practices. I have heard my share of horror stories where folks have paid dearly for a butterfly garden of native plants and instead got a bed of non-native invasives.
The 5-hour format (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) allows for:
an interactive workshop atmosphere
each workshop covers a unique aspect of wildlife gardening (in-depth)
each workshop builds on the others, but is not repetitive (so you’ll want to try and attend all 6 to maximize your learning opportunity)
resources (handouts and circulated books) will be shared and showcased
you’ll learn how to utilize these resources (find answers to burning questions you may have)
time for in-depth questions
time for in-depth answers
during a working lunch we’ll brainstorm (as a group) each participant’s specific challenges (you’ll draw a rough sketch of your yard and submit a photo of your sketch that I’ll project so we can all see it for this brainstorming)
time to get to know one another and learn from each other (of garden triumphs and tribulations, successes and pitfalls). Nothing beats collective experience and roundtable discussion
each workshop will culminate in a site visit to a nearby backyard habitat (including my own and others) where wildlife-friendly practices and design and plant selections will be showcased
Golden-crowned Kinglet successfully finding food in Frost Aster, a lovely native
So, what do you say! Will I see you in late February & March?
Take advantage of the discount by signing up for 3 or more workshops. Sign up today and begin getting ready for the workshops. Draw a rough sketch of your yard, indicating structures (and hardscapes like driveways, decks, etc.), existing habitats (lawn, forest, lone trees, shrub islands, gardens, bird feeding station, brush pile, etc.), and mark NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST on the sketch. Take time to note the sun’s path through your yard and where the sunniest areas are. Begin making a wish list of the elements you want to add as well as the elements you need to work around.
Where: Please note that the 6 workshops in this series will be held at the Cape May Bird Observatory Center for Research & Education, 600 Rt. 47 N, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 and not at the Nature Center of Cape May in Cape May.
Limit: 20 participants; preregistration required (through NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204; 609-898-8848 — if you reach their message machine, do leave a message . . . they’ll get back to you).
Cost/workshop (includes handouts):
$40 member of NJ Audubon Society, $50 nonmember Sign up for three or more workshops for a discount:
$30 each (member); $40 each (nonmember)
Sign up for all six workshops and receive a FREE copy of Doug Tallamy’s Bringing Nature Home or an 8 oz. HummZinger Hummingbird Feeder. All workshops include a site visit to a nearby wildlife garden (Sutton’s garden and others).
After all our hard work whipping our wildlife gardens into shape I hope you too have been enjoying some rewards and visions. Wanted to share my surprise visitor with you. Read all about it in . . .
My June & July 2015 posts for Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens:
Please share your comments and questions in the comment section following the posts (rather than write to me directly), that way everyone can benefit from your comments and questions, my answers, and all the additional sage advice that others share.
Chris Clemenson of Clemenson Farms Native Nursery shared this exciting news:
“For years those of us who are part of the Native Plant Society of NJ have been trying to encourage retailers to recognize the need to offer native plants for the public. Please pass on the word to all your native plant friends that several of the ACE hardware stores in southern NJ will offer native plants for sale and at very reasonable pricing during a Memorial Day Weekend sale (and afterwards as long as supplies last).”
“Joe and Cindy Smith own the ACE hardware stores in Vineland, Egg Harbor Township, Northfield, Brigantine, and Galloway. Cindy is a bird enthusiast and has been offering lots of bird related products for years. Cindy attended one of Pat Sutton’s lectures and really got turned on to the idea of natives (she has been installing natives to transform her yard into a native bird habitat ever since). She’s passionate about getting the word out on the need to plant natives.”
“Please encourage folks to go and buy plants at these stores this weekend (and as long as supplies last) AND to be sure to thank the store manager for offering native plants!”
For their Ace Hardware 2015 Memorial Weekend Sale the following stores will have 3 different milkweeds (Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, and Swamp Milkweed), Wild Blue Indigo, and Coral Honeysuckle (grown by Clemenson Farms Native Nursery, so we know these plants are safe and neonicitinoids free) for the amazing price of $4.99. One other grower is supplying natives for this sale (not sure of their plant line up). In June these stores will host a Father’s Day Sale including more of Clemenson Farms Native Nursery plants including Seaside Goldenrod, New England Aster, Joe Pye Weed, Little Bluestem, Red Bee Balm, and Spotted Horsemint.
Here are the 5 ACE Hardware Stores in southern NJ where these native plants will be for sale during their 2015 Memorial Day Weekend Sale (and afterwards as long as supplies last):
There are more sources of native plants in 2015 than EVER! Access my “Some Sources of Native Plants: 2015” HERE (updated 4-25-15) to learn of other sources.
Our garden on May 8, 2015: a mat of Common Chickweed with Common Milkweed fighting its way through
Hi Gang,
I was away for a week in West Virginia in late April (we were leaders and presenters at our favorite festival, the New River Birding and Nature Festival).
We left in winter conditions and returned to summer conditions. Tackling the next part of garden cleanup has been quite a task in the heat and gnats. I wondered how you all were faring with your own gardens especially since some of you are quite new to wildlife gardening.
I thought it might be timely to step-by-step explain how I wrap up the garden cleanup in spring.
I hope my post helps guide you. Please share your comments and questions in the comment section following the post (rather than write to me directly), that way everyone can benefit from your questions, my answers, and all the additional sage advice that others share.
Is my garden cleanup done yet? Not nearly. Heading back out as soon as I send this off. Good luck with yours and please wish me some luck and stamina with mine. It will all be worth it when it’s done.
A meadow of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in Cumberland County, NJ. I’d love to see wildlife management areas around NJ and elsewhere thick with this native wildflower, but sadly invasive non-natives have crowded them out in many places
Back in February the Press of Atlantic City pointed the finger at wildlife gardeners as contributing to the demise of Monarchs, specifically that by planting Tropical Milkweed we “may be killing” Monarchs. My e-mail box overflowed. My phone rang off the hook. I promised to get back to folks but didn’t get a chance until now.
I’ve addressed the issue and the latest news of Monarch numbers this past winter in Mexico, which directly affects the coming year.
To learn more be sure to read my latest post on Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens:
PLEASE leave any comments in the comment section at the end of my post. That way other readers can benefit from your comment and my reply (rather than writing to me directly). Thanks a bunch!
Many are concerned and planting milkweeds, but there too you have to be careful of where you buy your native milkweeds. Don’t buy milkweeds from big box stores because many plants sold by big box stores have been treated with insecticides called neonicitinoids. Monarch caterpillars will die eating these plants! Read more HERE.
Other posts I’ve written about Monarchs may also be of interest:
Too, I’ll be giving my “Milkweeds for Monarchs” program, packed with helpful information, three times this spring. Check out our “Upcoming Events” page for details and plan to join me.
I thought you would enjoy Susan Harris’ Garden Rant post, written after she attended the September 21, 2014 “South Tour of Monarch Gardens,” featuring private backyard and front yard gardens in Cape May, Lower Township, and Cape May Point:
As you can tell from the title, she was quite complimentary. Bravo wildlife gardeners and thank you SO MUCH for letting me share your gardens with tour participants! Keep enjoying your oases and the many wildlife visitors they attract and have fun inspiring others to do the same. If you know anyone who is ripe to be hooked on wildlife gardening, be sure they are aware of the upcoming workshops I’l be teaching: “2015 Gardening for Wildlife Workshop Series.”
Every walk down your garden path is full of wonder: Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars on Partridge Pea
Hi Gang,
I had a ball leading tours of private butterfly gardens in South Texas in early November at the 2014 Texas Butterfly Festival. Leaving Cape May when the butterfly season was coming to a close and heading to an area swimming in butterflies, including many exotic strays from Mexico, was a treat for this wildlife gardener.
Speaking of wildlife gardens I can’t wait to once again teach the series of 6 in-depth
“Gardening for Wildlife” Workshops (pdf) on select Saturdays and Sundays February 28 – March 28, 2015,
the perfect time to shake off winter and begin planning and planting (or enhancing) your property and wildlife garden.
Every walk down your garden path is full of wonder: Monarch caterpillars on Common Milkweed
Learn to create gardens and habitats in little time, save money (by encouraging seed production rather than hampering it with traditional gardening practices), and see long-term results (by implementing wildlife-friendly garden practices rather than traditional wildlife death-trap practices).
Many (1000s) have taken these workshops, been empowered, and created habitats that have given them pleasure for years to come. They know and I know that there is nothing more special than stepping out the door into a habitat that YOU created, a habitat that fills up with wildlife visitors galore: hummingbirds, butterflies, caterpillars, chrysalises, dragonflies, ladybugs, many different native bees, beetles and other fun pollinators, songbirds, frogs, turtles, moths at night, and more! Every walk down your garden path is full of wonder, learning, delight, awe . . . almost like traveling to an exotic land, but that exotic place is your own back (or front) yard. There is nothing more gratifying than knowing that you provide safe haven for all these creatures.
Consider joining me for one, two, three, or all six of these workshops (discounted fees when you sign up for any 3 workshops). Native plants and wildlife-friendly practices are the key and will be emphasized and detailed throughout.
I present a zillion one- to two-hour programs each year and maybe you’ve attended a few of these. I love teaching them, but (with only one or two hours) they are more one-sided presentations, me sharing fun natural history information and images with you, the audience.
These workshops offer the opportunity to be far more in-depth and interactive and are more likely to empower you, take you to the next level.
The 5-hour format (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) allows for:
an interactive workshop atmosphere
each workshop covers a unique aspect of wildlife gardening (in-depth)
each workshop builds on the others, but is not repetitive (so you’ll want to try and attend all 6 to maximize your learning opportunity)
resources (handouts and circulated books) will be shared and showcased
you’ll learn how to utilize these resources (find answers to burning questions you may have)
time for in-depth questions
time for in-depth answers
during a working lunch we’ll brainstorm (as a group) each participant’s specific challenges (you’ll draw a rough sketch of your yard and submit a photo of your sketch that I’ll project so we can all see it for this brainstorming)
time to get to know one another and learn from each other (of garden triumphs and tribulations, successes and pitfalls). Nothing beats collective experience and roundtable discussion
each workshop will culminate in a site visit to a nearby backyard habitat (including my own and others) where wildlife-friendly practices and design and plant selections will be showcased
Eleanor Engel in her six-year-old meadow
So, what do you say! Will I see you in late February & March?
Take advantage of the discount by signing up for any 3 of the workshops. Sign up today and begin getting ready for the workshops. Draw a rough sketch of your yard, indicating structures (and hardscapes like driveways, decks, etc.), existing habitats (lawn, forest, lone trees, shrub islands, gardens, bird feeding station, brush pile, etc.), and mark NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST on the sketch. Take time to note the sun’s path through your yard and where the sunniest areas are. Begin making a wish list of the elements you want to add as well as the elements you need to work around.
Common Green Darner laying eggs in Sutton’s wildlife pond
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm.
Where: Please note that the 6 workshops in this series will be held at the Cape May Bird Observatory Center for Research & Education, 600 Rt. 47 N, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 and not at the Nature Center of Cape May in Cape May.
Limit: 20 participants; preregistration required (through NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204; 609-898-8848 — if you reach their message machine, do leave a message . . . they’ll get back to you).
Cost/workshop (includes handouts):
$35 member of NJ Audubon Society, $45 nonmember Sign up for any 3 workshops for a discount:
$75 member (or $25 each); $105 nonmember (or $35 each) All workshops include a site visit to a nearby wildlife garden (Sutton’s garden and others).
Monarch caterpillar on Common Milkweed in Pat Sutton’s garden August 25, 2014
At the peak of Cape May County’s world-famous fall Monarch migration, tour diverse gardens that have hosted Monarchs since May. Each features native nectar plants and as many as five different kinds of milkweed (used by Monarchs for egg laying to create the next generation). Expect Monarchs and other butterflies, Monarch eggs, caterpillars, and maybe even a chrysalis. The complex Monarch migration will be both explained and enjoyed.
I’ve worked with 18 garden owners to line up this set of Garden Tours. Don’t miss this opportunity to see a fine selection of wildlife gardens with lovely stands of MILKWEED: Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Whorled Milkweed, Purple Milkweed, and Tropical Milkweed. The annual, Tropical Milkweed, will be in bloom. Most of our native perennial milkweeds have already bloomed, but their robust leaves still pull in mating and egg-laying Monarchs well into the fall, as our local Monarchs create yet another generation. These gardens are coming into their fall attire, which will be as stunning as the summer garden, yet completely different.
2014 TOURS OF PRIVATE MONARCH GARDENS
10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 19 — Mid-County Tour, including amazing gardens along the Delaware Bayshore in North Cape May and Villas Saturday, Sept. 20 — North Tour, including Pat Sutton’s garden and other gems from Cape May Court House north to South Seaville Sunday, Sept. 21 — South Tour, including gardens south of the Cape May Canal
Expect these gardens to also be hosting lingering hummingbirds, butterflies, caterpillars, stunning native plants, and undoubtedly some surprises. Fall migration will be underway, so anything’s possible.
TOUR DETAILS AND PRICING
Gardening naturalist and author, Pat Sutton, leads these tours, which include her own garden in Goshen (North tour). Bring lunch since the group will eat in one of the gardens. Limit: 25 per tour. Three Tours / Cost per tour: $35 members (NJ Audubon), $45 nonmembers.
(Join three tours at a discounted rate of $90 members, $115 nonmembers.)
These tours require preregistration with payment.
Registration: you may register by phone at 609.898.8848 with a credit card or send payment to the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204 (noting which tours and full names, addresses, and phone numbers of registrants). NCCM reserves the right to cancel programs, and refunds are available only if NCCM cancels the event. Walk-ins are welcome on a space-available basis. Become a member of NJAS and receive discounts in the gift shop and on many programs.
It is the peak of Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration. Numbers have exploded now that young have left the nest, females are busy with second broods, and hummingbirds that nested in the far north (Gaspe Peninsula) are moving south. Gardens designed and planted with hummingbird-friendly plants and a wealth of yummy soft-bodied insects (which hummingbirds also love to eat) are experiencing a virtual blizzard of hummingbirds.
At the peak of Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration, we’ll savor an array of diverse gardens that have hosted nesting hummingbirds since May and are now drawing in dozens of migrants. Native nectar plants, healthy insect populations, water sources, and adequate cover are key elements of each garden.
TOUR DETAILS AND PRICING
Gardening naturalist and author, Pat Sutton, leads these tours, which include her own garden in Goshen (North tour). Bring lunch since the group will eat in one of the gardens.
If some of you are keen to create a butterfly & hummingbird garden, be sure to download the article & plant list Sutton wrote / created:
Limit: 25 per tour. Nine Tours / Cost per tour: $35 members (NJ Audubon), $45 nonmembers. (Join three tours at a discounted rate of $90 members, $115 nonmembers.) These tours require preregistration with payment.
Registration: you may register by phone at 609.898.8848 with a credit card or send payment to the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204 (noting which tours and full names, addresses, and phone numbers of registrants).
NCCM reserves the right to cancel programs, and refunds are available only if NCCM cancels the event. Walk-ins are welcome on a space-available basis. Become a member of NJAS and receive discounts in the gift shop and on many programs.
Hi Gang,
