Question, I planted garlic in my butterfly garden, do you think this will upset any plants or hummers and butterflies? I have milkweed, fennel, and butterfly weed planted so far, after I did it, I've been a little nervious, I did this as an experiment for the milkweed bugs and aphids and for the moles, but that is a different story ;-)
Garlic?
LeBug ..
A doggone good question .. You've got me just as curious !!
Seems that it would be a good idea tho' .. But like you, I'd wonder if it would alter the 'taste' of the other host/food plants ... thereby affecting the critters directly and possible drastically!! Would sure hate to see them pack up and go elsewhere, nor ever return .. (eeegads!)
I know of the books and/or threads (here on DG) .. address the companion planting for our veggies .. but I truly don't ever recall running across anything that may be applicable to our butterfly and catepillar 'interests' being affected.
A MITEY good question you've posed !!!!
When time may permit .. I'll get busy, in takin' a better look-see here and about also. I'd imagine some others may hop aboard soon, also ..
If you find anything .. please, continue to post it, in order for the rest of us to share in the benefits of the info, also -?-
- Magpye
I have plenty of host plants in other areas, I always feed the children real good lol But I have read that garlic was a good companion plant for roses, our children like those ;o)
Well, while Garlic Chives aren't the same as regular garlic, they are in the same general family I believe, & the flowers from my Garlic Chives attract butterflies & bees from far & wide.
I don't think your garlic planting will deter anything.
Thanks Breezymeadow, that sounds encouraging, never really thought about it until after I did it, just so tired of dealing with all the aphids esp. and something has to be good for getting rid of those pesty milkweed bugs, hopefully they won't be back as bad next year.
Well, I got brave and planted garlic in 3 beds and now I am digging it out, haven't had hardly any butterflys, at the last part of Spring/first part of Summer, I saw one butterfly lay eggs on the Fennel and saw one cat. and now I have no cats and hardly any butterflys, but haven't really seen that many on my butterfly bush (planted in another spot), maybe it's just too early in the summer to make an observation? Seems to me everyone else on here has had cats so far this year.
I sure wish someone in my zone would let me know if they have a lot of cats yet. I have all kinds of milkweed that is blooming, fennel that is seeding, and butterfly weed blooming.
Just a note, the garlic isn't keeping the moles out lol
Yay! .. A bit of relative updates from you, LeBug ..
Never did give it a whirl myself (with the introducing the garlic in any of the flower beds) ... Certainly appreciate the info!
I can report that I've only happened upon one Monarch cat ... way, way earlier in the Spring .. that I found dead on the stone walkway below the butterfly weed. And this was long before the BW blooms started to open! I thought it was quite peculiar. Had no idea if maybe a bird tried to catch him and miss, injured him, or just what ... but know that it seemed extremely early.
Afterwards, I'd observed a couple of Monarchs that paid a visit to the Dianthus and checked out the Violas; but again, the butterfly weed hadn't bloomed, yet .. and their visits seemed mitey early, to me. Other than this .. there's been virtually zilch, notta, nuffin'!
I agree .. it appears that there's been very little butterfly activity this year; as compared to previous years' most frequent and lively activity! I'd contributed the lack of activity .. for I'd been late in getting the zinnias in the ground. A large variety of the beauties have always flocked to the zinnia. These, are just now putting on their bloom heads ... I'm keeping my fangers crossed, for an influx to come. (hee)
The Liatris have been atttracting the Skippers, and a few others smaller species. But, still .. very small rations compared to preceeding years ...
Have noticed a wealth of moths making their appearances this year tho' ... Had visits of so many, and such a variety of which I've never seen before in my life!
((huggs))
- Magpye
Hi Magpye, nice to hear from you, thought you might like to know I have been feeding the chipmunks and it is working so far :o) Thanks for the tip.
I thought I read somewhere that the Monarch cats were poisonous to the birds, maybe not.
I’ve seen a lot of moths too, none that I haven’t seen before yet.
I’m going to try and start another small garden to plant some Silky Gold butterfly weed and more fennel in this week, started it last fall and the violets have taken over, my son is coming Wed. to help me clean it out, was suppose to be a flower garden but the butterflies are more important :)
Well back to weeding, it's hot out there, had to take a break lol
Lea
((gigglin' to myself, here))
You're right, about the Monarch cats, LeBug .. but I often wonder if there may be one or two brave bird souls, that the info hasn't filtered (thru 'instinct or teaching') .. to know any better! .. (hee) .. I'm sure that the cats can fall prey to other stinging booger bugs, tho' .. ? ..
I do bleeve that I saw some type of butterfly weed for sale in Home Depot last week .. that had the word 'Silky' in its name on the label. The boogers were priced at $12 per gal pot, tho'. They're were in 'yellowy' bloom and mitey pretty tho' ... Talked myself out of them; easily .. at that price.
Hope to spy-ball some pics from you soon. Especially, of the Silky Gold Butterfly Weed ...
Take a good cooling break often, LeBug/Lea ..
- Magpye
I just sowed some Silky Gold (it’s not a perennial here) from a trade in the Spring, never have seen any here for sale, never see any butterfly weed for sale here, I don’t think people around here care about the butterflies or they just don’t buy milkweed or butterfly weed, I know they don’t buy it from me, that’s why I always have some to plant and that’s ok with me, just gives me that much more :)
When people here want to buy plants for butterflies they get the ‘other’ flowering plants, I try and explain they need host plants too but I think that just goes over there heads lol All they really want is flowers.
I got a new camera, just for pictures on here and having trouble figuring it out of course, I’m just not the brightest light bulb in the pack lol Hopefully I’ll get it figured out before the summer is over.
Why, you ol booger you! ...
Shame on you, for keepin' that wonderful news of your new 'shootin' toy, all to yourself!
( .. jes very luvinly teasin' you, Lea! ..)
Ya know .. it's in the guide book (unpublished) .. that ya gotta tell us all about it .. (lol)
The 'wild' butterfly weed is about peaked here in NW Arkansas .. but as long as it's bloomin'; the ol Coot has been going and diggin' some more .. for placement in our re-vamped back yard. Got a few stalks of a couple of plants .. of which a few leaves have wilted a bit; but a couply more that hasn't had the first set-back! Even if all the 'green' dies back, it's not failed to come back up in the Spring .. and with even more new shoots! No doubt about it; jes can't have enuff ...
Let's not even mention our light bulbs ... Mine 'dims' by the moment! .. LOL
Okay .. spill the beans about your new pitter takin' gadget. I'd like to be xcited for/with you ...
Will certainly be lookin' forward to any/all pitters!!
- Magpye
Edited: An Oopser on my part. My apologies .. for taking your 'Garlic' thread on a wee side-stroll ... I'll straighten up. LOL
This message was edited Jul 3, 2006 5:52 PM
Sorry Magpye, it's been kind of crazy around here, didn't aim to ignore you :)
The camera is a Kodak Easy Share (V530) 5mp and the instructions are more for the printing of pictures I think, just not that many instructions about taking the pictures and downloading on the computer, but I've been so busy probably just missing them, I'll get it figured out one of these days.
I found a fennel that I forgot about under the trumpet vine (no garlic), it doesn't have any cats on it either, maybe it's just too early to be freeking out lol Sure hope so.