When I stepped in front of my butterfly house, I realized my 9-year-old son Leo had released my last monarch butterfly of the fall season. This was something I had really wanted to do together, so I was annoyed, but then I realized that if he’d enjoyed it, that would be enough for me. The second-to-last monarch had been released by my almost 12- year -old daughter Kate, accidentally. (Eye roll.)
I’d told as many people as I could about my monarchs this season. My delight and fascination simply poured over, and one kind person commented, “What an amazing thing for your kids!”
For my kids?? Oh my gosh... this was for ME!
So you can imagine my disappointment at missing the release of both the seventh and eighth monarchs.
I’ve been courting a fascination with monarchs for a couple of years now. Last year, I learned that a particular plant in my garden, butterfly weed, attracts monarch caterpillars. There had to be 11 or 12 of them! I’d see them one day, and they’d be gone the next. Toward the end of fall, to my delight, I even spotted a chrysalis.
This year, I wondered what it would be like if I had four plants instead of one. What then? How many caterpillars then??
Throughout June and July, there were several lining the branches. Then, in September, I scrolled past an Instagram post featuring a free-library-type structure being used as a butterfly house. You could house the caterpillars on stems of butterfly weed, and they’d munch their way to maturity, hang in a J shape, and eventually become a chrysalis. I was hooked! I consulted my buddy Chat about how to turn my tabletop wooden house into a butterfly house, and I got to work.
This fall, I got to witness how quickly a caterpillar hanging in its J shape becomes a chrysalis, less than two hours! I got to see the exquisite gold-dot markings on a chrysalis, nature’s abundant structural beauty always gets me. And then there was the way the chrysalis turned from a shade of green milk glass to almost completely clear, so you could actually see the monarch inside. Stunning! I even learned new words like frass (butterfly poop!) and eclose, which is apparently what it’s called when the monarch emerges.
I got to be in the garden and see a monarch freshly emerged from its chrysalis, wrinkled wings flapping as it prepared for flight. One of our monarchs wasn’t able to fly. It had a bent wing that I couldn’t help, but nonetheless, I kept it as safe as I could in my garden. What a gift to be able to do that. Kate actually saw a caterpillar shed its skin and become a chrysalis!
I can’t even tell you how deeply gratifying it was to create a place where these incredible, majestic creatures could safely emerge. So many moments of wonder and pure delight.
This year, we had eight monarchs emerge, preparing for their migration to Mexico.
Spark ignited.
This Stopped Me
This Stirred Me
This Was my Favorite Image
Have a wonderful Week!!!