A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

Liz and Nirdie, I have two family members who would like to start a butterfly garden. I was going to try sowing seeds in milk jugs over the winter for them. Would you share some info please. I checked for seeds and reviews said Butterfly Milkweed is difficult to grow. Would It be better to buy plants next spring?

Depends on the type of milkweed. I have a lot of tropical milkweed started from seed, which is the kind I use most here in Florida. I bought some swamp milkweed plants last year which did real well and is native to this area. I collected seed but was having trouble getting it to germinate. Upon research, I learned that this seed needs to be cold stratified before it will germinate. So I have a few seedlings started but more in the refrigerator to start later. Google the types of milkweed that are native to the area where your butterfly garden will be. Then google starting that variety from seed.

Milkweed is the host plant for Monarchs and Queen butterflies, and a nectar plant for lots of different pollinators. Each type of butterfly has its own host plant where it lays its eggs and caterpillars eat until they form their chrysalis. Google what kinds of butterflies are native to the area and find out what host plants are needed in the garden to attract them. For example, black swallowtail butterflies require parsley, dill or fennel. You also need a variety of nectar flowers. Zinnia is easy to grow and the butterflies like it. Easy to find a lot of info online.

I am making progress on expanding my own butterfly garden, putting in new beds and organizing what goes in them.
'

The bed in the foreground with nothing in it yet will be designated a Florida native wildflower bed. No nonnative plants will go there.

Liz, I love your butterfly garden. Very cool.

it's going to be beautiful Liz.... like the idea of a native bed...
sheila

Liz, thanks for the information and always enjoy pictures of your gardens. I have put a butterfly book on my Amazon wish list for my next order. I watch Garden Answers every morning and her episode about winter sowing in jugs stated that winter sowing of milk weed didn’t require refrigeration of seeds because the cold weather would take care of that step. I don’t know if that would work with Florida’s temperatures. I could only find seeds I want on Amazon and of course they are not being delivered in a timely manner. This last week I have been watching The Wild Gardener, Colin Stanford Johnson build a native garden in Ireland on YouTube. Yesterday I read that he had passed away. He did create a beautiful wild garden. Liz, please pictures of your gardens as they mature.

Shirv. Check with Liz soon. I am delivering a nap sack of Ohio Milkweed seeds. They ought to like Maryland weather….

BirdbyBird wrote:Shirv. Check with Liz soon. I am delivering a nap sack of Ohio Milkweed seeds. They ought to like Maryland weather….

Oh, cool! And if you pm me your address, Shirl. I can send you a variety of milkweed seeds and other seeds flower seeds good for butterfly gardens.

Tina and Liz, thank you. Liz, I sent you a pm

Will put a package with several seed varieties in the mail tomorrow, Shirl. Best wishes to your family for a successful butterfly garden.

Thanks Liz, I appreciate the seeds. Going to call around to a couple of coffee shops this morning to see if they have any empty milk jugs I can have. The next few weeks are very cold which will be perfect for milkweed seeds. I will update progress. Lol