Time Saving Tropical Milkweed Propagation Tips Though seed starting has its place, I never realized all the unnecessary time I was wasting until I started growing tropical milkweed from stem cuttings. Have Blooms Like This All Summer While starting seeds indoors always gave me satisfaction of seeing my baby plants magically transform each summer, there were definitely lots of growing pains along the way: Bad seeds can put your garden way behind schedule (or force you to buy plant$) Seedlings can get leggy unless you use grow lights and/or an oscillating fan to promote stronger stems ..read more

Growing Milkweed in Pots…which varieties work best? Container gardening ideas for your monarch butterfly garden consist of both nectar flowers and milkweed plants. Even better, are the butterfly plants that serve both purposes. But why would you want to grow milkweed in containers? 1. Portability Put pots on raised beds, move them around in the garden, or bring milkweed containers to a patio for easier viewing of butterflies and caterpillars. 2. Raising Monarchs When you raise monarchs on a potted milkweed plant, you don’t have to constantly switch out their milkweed supply. Howev ..read more

How to Germinate Milkweed Seeds…Faster! Starting milkweed seeds indoors requires more patience if you’re letting things progress on nature’s terms…but there’s a quicker path to butterfly garden success. If you’re anxious to get this season growing, try a performance enhancing trick that works like a charm for getting annual (tender perennial) milkweed varieties off to a fast start. But first, if you’re completely lost, you probably missed the first post from this milkweed seed starting trilogy. Once you’re up to speed, continue reading below ..read more

Starting Annual Milkweed Seeds Inside to Support More Monarchs Every year we get a jump start on spring by starting annual milkweed seeds inside. Since some warm weather varieties (like tropical milkweed) flower their first year, starting them indoors can reap instant butterfly garden rewards. One season, our Gomphocarpus physcocarpus (balloon plant milkweed) plants grew 8 feet tall and were our last milkweed plants to succumb to frost preceding a harsh Minnesota winter….not too shabby for a milkweed variety that’s only cold hardy to USDA zone 8! Annual Milkweed Seeds When growing a ..read more

With spring comes the imminent return of the king of butterflies…Monarchs! Will your garden be ready to greet them with leafy loads of lush milkweed? Whether you planted seeds last fall, started seeds and cuttings over winter, or delayed all your milkweed plans until now, most of us will  be spring planting some milkweed. Spring is the time to execute your final (initial) milkweed plan for the season. Your milkweed patch(es) may need revising during the season, but starting with a good plan now should keep alterations to a minimum. 7 Spri ..read more

9 Tips to Successfully Buy Milkweed Plants and Seeds Online One of the questions I get asked most often is where to buy milkweed from. Unfortunately, milkweed isn’t widely available locally for many across North America. If it is, you typically only have a couple varieties to choose from. You might be lucky enough to stumble into a milkweed forest at a big box store, but are you sure those plants haven’t been treated with monarch-killing pesticides? Are the people who work there even sure? I still hear reports from people who buy milkweed from local stores that’s supposed to be ..read more

Are you looking for posh pink blooms to attract butterflies to your garden? If so, pink butterfly bushes deserve serious consideration! These stunning perennial shrubs, also known as purple Buddleia davidii plants, are also a favorite flower for many butterfly garden enthusiasts, and deer-resistant to boot.  Butterfly ‘Swallows’ Up Buddleia Check out 6 potential pink butterfly bush options to see if one could be the perfect fit for your garden: Option 1: Buddleia ‘Princess Pink’ (Monarch Series) Option 2: Buddleia ‘Prince Charming’ (Monarch Series) Option 3: ‘Pugster Pinker’ Butterfly Bu ..read more

Are you looking for a touch of Prince-ly purple charm to attract butterflies to your garden? If so, purple butterfly bushes deserve serious consideration! These stunning perennial shrubs, also known as purple Buddleia davidii plants, are also a favorite flower for many butterfly garden enthusiasts, and deer-resistant to boot.  Check out 6 potential purple butterfly bush options to see if one could be the perfect fit for your garden: Option 1: Black Knight Butterfly Bush Option 2: Miss Violet Butterfly Bush Option 3: Buddleja Buzz ‘Midnight’ Option 4: Pugster ‘Amethyst’ Option 5: ‘Dark D ..read more

To prune a butterfly bush,  it’s important to understand the plant’s growth habits. Regular pruning will not only keep the butterfly bush looking tidy and well-maintained, but it will also promote more blooms and attract a larger number of butterflies. By following these simple butterfly bush pruning tips and techniques, gardeners can ensure that their butterfly bush varieties will bring a bounty of butterflies to their garden throughout the growing season.  Why Prune Butterfly Bushes? Butterfly bushes should be pruned to remove dead and damaged wood, as well as to shape the pl ..read more

The monarch butterflies have been drastically reduced from regular garden visitors to rare garden treats over the past two decades. What was once a billion butterfly population covering 18 hectares, has been reduced to just… March 2023: The eastern monarch population estimate has just been announced:  a 22% decrease from last season in an area covering 2.21 hectares, or roughly 5.46 acres. For reference, a football field is about 1.3 acres. Karen Oberhauser University of Wisconsin | Down 22% for 2023? The Current Population Estimate will be Released by March 2024 Over the past few years ..read more