Photo by vladeb

Development, habitat destruction, and chemical herbicides and pesticides have significantly reduced the amount of Milkweed (and other plants) available to Monarchs, which has in turn, resulted in a decrease in the overall Monarch population. This decline has prompted a number of organizations to develop around the world in support of Monarchs and their habitat. Organizations like Monarch Watch and the Monarch Teacher Network have programs to encourage people to plant Asclepias species appropriate to their area.

The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) lists 136 entries for Asclepias (including plant synonyms) in the U.S. and Canada, about 85 of which are identified with a common name containing “milkweed”. Many of these have ranges that extend through much of the United States and Canada, but are listed as: Endangered, Exploitably Vulnerable, Special Concern, Threatened and other similar statuses.

Photo by tlindenbaum

A. incarnata (Swamp Milkweed), A. speciosa (Showy Milkweed), and A. tuberosa (Pleurisy Root) seem to be the most commonly sold Asclepias in the eastern U.S. A. incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) and A. tuberosa are easy to find as seeds – you can purchase them through my affiliate link for Botanical Interests Seeds on the right side of this page. If you Google A. speciosa and A. syriaca, you’ll find a number of retailers selling these seed.

Photo by Salim Virji

I’m growing A. tuberosa from seed this year. I didn’t have luck with the A. syriaca transplants I was given last year. I suspect that they didn’t like being disturbed (big tap root) and would have been happier to have been started from seed. I hope I can meet my Asclepias-growing neighbosr this year, and beg a seed pod or two. Maybe I’ll trade them some of my rampant Monarda!

There were great speakers again this year: “Basic Seed Saving” by Ira Wallace from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and “Dealing with the Challenges of Seed Starting” by Chris Turse from the Washington Youth Garden.

I made some new friends, including a crocheter, a knitter, and a newbie gardener (muahahahaha!).

I shared some seeds:

• Allium schoenprasum (gathered in my yard)
• Allium tuberosum (gathered in my yard)
• Ipomoea purpurea (Morning Glory, Star of Yalta)
• and a couple of other seed packs which I should have written down.

I gained some new seeds:

• Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower)
• Amsonia hubrechtii (Threadleaf Bluestar) SO excited about this one. Been wanting to grown Amsonia for a while.
• Cimcifuga racemosa (Actaea) (Black Snakeroot)
• Solanum melongena “Jilo Tingua Verde Claro” (Eggplant)
• Artemesia absinthium (Wormwood)
• Palava Greens (Jew’s Mallow/Jute) Which I believe may be Mulukhiyah
• Impatiens balsamina
• Cuminum cyminum (Cumin)
• Ensete Ventricosum (Red Abyssinian Banana)
• Blue Pumpkin
• Petroselinum crispum ‘Prezzemolo Gigante Napoli’
• Brassica rapa Rapa da Broccoletti (Broccoli Rabe)
• Solanum lycopersicum ‘Oxheart’
• Solanum lycopersicum ‘Best Boy’
• Solanum lycopersicum ‘Crnkovic Yugoslav’
• Verbascum chaixii ‘Album’ (Nettle-Leaved Mullein)
• Consolida ajacis (Rocket Larkspur)
• Rudbeckia hirta
• Tropaeolum minus ‘Empress of India’
• Lactuca sativa ‘Cook’s Lettuce Blend’ (Lettuce)
• Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)
• Cosmos ‘Sensation Early’
• Tropaeolum sp ‘Glorious Gleam’
• Narcissus bulbs ‘Spellbinder’

I have to point out that about half of the items on this list (including the Narcissus) were in my goody bag. Kathy gets some great donations!

It seemed like everyone had a really good time – I know I did. I’m already looking forward to next year.

I have a light set up in the garage, courtesy of E. I thought I’d put the plants far enough away from the lights (Really? What the heck was I thinking?), but I guess not. I suppose it won’t hurt them too much (I hope) but it’s too late to do much of anything to stop them from doing their thing.

But, as the song says, to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose…

Finches are in LOVE with our Echinacea. We’ve had several American Goldfinch visitors in the last couple of weeks – two males and a female this afternoon. They seem to prefer the Echinacea seed heads over the feeder with the fancy seed.

I spotted a hummingbird in the Agastache ‘Apricot Sprite’ this afternoon. At first I only caught it out of the corner of my eye, but it kept coming back for more. I think they like the Zinnia too, which is great because the Zinnia just keep blooming their heads off. I imagine that’s why the butterflies keep hanging around.

Maybe instead of worrying about what the plants look like, I should accept what is, and revel in the beauty of the birds and other wildlife that have chosen to grace our yard. I can also think ahead to planting more plants for the birds next year, and to planting more fall-blooming plants. To everything, there is a season!

Here’s my list of booty:

Wildflowers +
Artichoke ‘Imperial Star’
Carrot ‘Short n’ Sweet’ packet says “Grows in heavy soils”!
Lettuce ‘Salad Bowl’
Garlic ‘Inchelium Red’
Convulvulus ‘Star of Yalta’
Russian Tarragon*
Container lettuce ‘Garden Babies Butterhead’+
Cosmos (orange)
Lobelia cardinalis
Papever somniferum ‘Laurens Grape’ +
Parsley
Nierembergia ‘White Robe’
Sorghum vulgare
Saponaria officinalis (Soapwort)
Linarea pupurea (purple toadflax)
Lilium ‘Star Gazer’
Consolida ajacis
Salvia ‘Hotline Blue’ *
Malva ‘Mystic Merlin’
Pennyroyal
Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ *

Seeds from WinterSown Educational. (You can go to the website to get your own!)
Tomato ‘Hong Yuen’*
Tomato ‘Huang Se Chieh’*
Tomato ‘Green Zebra’*
Tomato ‘Early Kus Ali’*
Tomato ‘Roma’*
Tomato ‘Gilbertie’*
Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’+
Convulvulus ‘Star of Yalta’+
Zucchini ‘Little Tree of Sarzana’+
Tomato ‘Large Red Cherry’+
Tomato ‘Tondina Maremmano’+
Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)+

+ I received this in my event goody bag
* I received this from the “free” table

I also won a Neomarica gracillis (Walking Iris) as a door prize, and for filling out a survey form, a fern. All in all a fun and plant-filled day!

A beautiful jade house with gold and black trim. It’s amazing how much the gold looks like real gold.