Although most of the plants in my butterfly garden are finished blooming for the winter, some of flowering plants continued to bloom in late December and early January.
The milkweed is blooming and attracting Monarch butterflies. Because Hurricane Irma destroyed my butterfly garden in 2017 there were no butterflies or caterpillars last winter. I replanted the garden in the spring of 2018 and in December, 2018 I was thrilled to find monarchs and caterpillars on the milkweed once again.
Two days later, this caterpillar had changed into a chrysalis.
I checked on the chrysalis every day. A week later, on New Year’s Eve, it was starting to change.
I continued checking on it daily and I could see subtle changes each day. Just when I knew it wouldn’t be long before a butterfly emerged, I found it lying on the ground the morning of January 5. We did some research on the internet to find out if there was anything we could do to save it. We tied it to a branch with piece of thread and let it hang in a jar. It’s been over a week since then and still there is no change.
I wish there had been a happier ending to this post. I’m sad to say that our butterfly didn’t make it.
Wandering Dawgs 
Well, all stories don’t have a happy ending, but your flowers are looking beautiful and those butterflies traveling around sure have a lovely place to stop for a spell.
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Thank you Judy. Except for the milkweed, the flowers are mostly gone now. Time to clean up the flower bed and plan what to plant in the spring.
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It’s too bad the butterfly didn’t emerge, but, as Judy said, not all stories have a happy ending. I love the shot of the caterpillar! I’m sure the visiting butterflies appreciate all the work you put into your garden! I do too, it’s lovely!
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Thank you! The milkweed is still blooming but most of the other flowers are gone now. Time to think about spring planting.
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Having a garden to plan is one thing I really miss. I miss my dirt therapy.
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Having a garden is one of the reasons we still have our sticks and bricks house.
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Awesome photos and story. We so enjoy the show nature provides us free. All we have to do is pause to look.
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Thank you! You are so right. It’s so easy to forget to stop to look.
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So sad, I look forward to perhaps seeing the chrysalis stage this coming summer. Last year I saw many caterpillars on the milk weed and I saw butterflies, but no chrysalis. Beautiful photos.
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Thank you!
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Butterfly gardens are beautiful. Some don’t make it, but the ones that do are spectacular!
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Thanks Pam. I was lucky to have a lot of hummingbirds and butterflies visit the garden last year.
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Your butterfly garden is wonderful. The butterflies that do make it are spectacular. So happy you have so many visits!
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Thank you Nancy. The butterflies are gone now and most of the flowers are dormant. Waiting for spring now!
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Punxsutawney Phil says it’s on its way! 😊
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