Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

Angela, on losing the messages I can't determine what triggers it, but think that its something about the way I lay my left hand on the keyboard, but am unable to duplicate it when I purposely try. It seems to have started or at least increased greatly after I replace a worn out keyboard. I type in a conventional manner since I did manage to stay awake in my high school typing class as the instructor was a very beautiful lady. I think that as I become more tired I must somehow allow the heel of my left hand to put enough pressure on the Caps Lock, Shift, or Ctrl keys or maybe some combination of them but when I purposely try I never lose anything--oh well!... I purchased our first three Common Milkweed from our local nursery about the middle of last season and then the owner knowing my interests gave me three more about six weeks ago, I think. I remember that I had to wait quite a while for the first three because his supplier said that the plants were taking a long time to reach any size and I planted all directly into the ground and none have come even close to blooming so far Come to think of it only one the swamp milkweed had any blooms on it this year and they were much smaller than in the last two years---thinking not enough sun for the first ones that I planted! The only ones that I have planted from seeds are ones obtained from several butterfly weed plants we had a few years ago in which I just took seeds from the plants and sprinkled them in one of the pots which I had just removed a dead flower at the end of the season and added just a very thin layer of potting soil over them. I left the pot outside over the winter to take care of the chill cycle and was surprised the next spring with many little seedlings. After they had grown quite a bit I just planted the entire bunch in the ground and this is their third season and all have seed heads on them which are splitting open and if you like will be glad to save some for you. They have beautiful blooms but have yet to see a butterfly lay any eggs on them, and have heard similar comments from several others...Looks like you may top the fifty Monarch mark this season which is great and our Maypop is about like yours. I think that maybe we just started a little late, but am expecting big things next season as everything I've read says that they are very hardy and productive. Talking about productive, the offspring from the passion flower that we purchased locally last year is putting off blooms like I've never seen We recently had seven blooms in one day and several days have had double-digit blooms and according to the information provided with it was supposedly only hardy down into the twenties. I think that it must have come back from seeds as I dug the original one up this Spring when I did not see any signs of life! Well, guess I'd better go water the flowers before it gets any hotter and hope you guys have a nice cool weekend!





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angela k Loc: Long Island

[quote=Swamp-Cork]Angela, on losing the messages I can't determine what triggers it, but think that its something about the way I lay my left hand on the keyboard, but am unable to duplicate it when I purposely try. It seems to have started or at least increased greatly after I replace a worn out keyboard. I type in a conventional manner since I did manage to stay awake in my high school typing class as the instructor was a very beautiful lady. I think that as I become more tired I must somehow allow the heel of my left hand to put enough pressure on the Caps Lock, Shift, or Ctrl keys or maybe some combination of them but when I purposely try I never lose anything--oh well!... I purchased our first three Common Milkweed from our local nursery about the middle of last season and then the owner knowing my interests gave me three more about six weeks ago, I think. I remember that I had to wait quite a while for the first three because his supplier said that the plants were taking a long time to reach any size and I planted all directly into the ground and none have come even close to blooming so far Come to think of it only one the swamp milkweed had any blooms on it this year and they were much smaller than in the last two years---thinking not enough sun for the first ones that I planted! The only ones that I have planted from seeds are ones obtained from several butterfly weed plants we had a few years ago in which I just took seeds from the plants and sprinkled them in one of the pots which I had just removed a dead flower at the end of the season and added just a very thin layer of potting soil over them. I left the pot outside over the winter to take care of the chill cycle and was surprised the next spring with many little seedlings. After they had grown quite a bit I just planted the entire bunch in the ground and this is their third season and all have seed heads on them which are splitting open and if you like will be glad to save some for you. They have beautiful blooms but have yet to see a butterfly lay any eggs on them, and have heard similar comments from several others...Looks like you may top the fifty Monarch mark this season which is great and our Maypop is about like yours. I think that maybe we just started a little late, but am expecting big things next season as everything I've read says that they are very hardy and productive. Talking about productive, the offspring from the passion flower that we purchased locally last year is putting off blooms like I've never seen We recently had seven blooms in one day and several days have had double-digit blooms and according to the information provided with it was supposedly only hardy down into the twenties. I think that it must have come back from seeds as I dug the original one up this Spring when I did not see any signs of life! Well, guess I'd better go water the flowers before it gets any hotter and hope you guys have a nice cool weekend!




Thanks for all that info, Corky!! I will be planting my swamp milkweed seeds right into the ground like I did last fall... I did have many tiny plants sprouting and the monarch did lay many eggs on them! I thought I took them all in, but just yesterday I found 2 1" cats munching away on them... so nothing left, but I'm sure the root system is still good. Of course I brought them inside to be safe! Very dark here which concerns me because a male did just emerge and they say not to release them if it rains... so I'm waiting a few hours to see what happens! I still have to find a permanent place to plant my Maypop and if I don't, I'll be putting the pot in the garage over the winter. How wonderful that your other plant is blooming like crazy!!! Do the flowers last longer than a clematis?

Anyway... enjoy this day and the weekend!!

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

[quote=angela k]
The blooms last for only one day, Angela but it blooms over an extended period of time, and know that this other variety has been blooming for at least six weeks, and the maypop at the nursey was blooming when we were there to purchased the pawpaw trees. I just came in from outside and it's really hot, but more than seven blooms have already opened since this morning and expect that it will be more than ten before the day is over! There are a number of that particular passion flower that has emerged all around the perennial garden, but they are not as far along and have not seen any buds on them. Remember, I also ordered that beautiful hybrid one from South Florida last Spring and at least five or ten of those have come up but no buds on those yet either! Saw a couple of Black Swallowtails and many Silver Spotted Skippers and one Clearwing Hummingbird Moth while outside! I don't even want to think about the forecast seen on TV this morning! A petty good chance that a bad storm or hurricane could come ashore around Hampton Roades are either the Outer Banks of NC around next Friday but that depends on what happens in the meantime! We are scheduled to visit the Outer Banks with four of Ellen's cousins and their families for three days starting on the 17th and have already taken care of the rental so hope for the best either way! Mu go as Ellen has said the majic words---"Corky lunch is ready'! tAKE CARE!

angela k Loc: Long Island

That's wonderful that you have so many of these really unusual blooms popping out daily... I'm looking forward and hoping that mine does something next year!!
Your garden must be all aflutter with all those butterflies....
Positive thoughts that the new storm blows out to sea and doesn't interfere with your plans, which sound like a fun time!!!

Take care and enjoy your lunch and thank the magician for saying those magic words!!

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

Thanks, Angela, and just after I lunch went outside to shoo a flock of geese of the pier and on my way back and happen to glance in the direction of the perennial garden I happen to notice a different type bloom at the top of an eight or ten-foot tall butterfly bush which turned out to be a bloom from the passion flower that we purchased from South Florida! Also, I found a spent bloom from the day before! I'll try to include an image but it was up so high that I had to position it lower with one hand while taking the image, so it's not very good and with no P.P. I'll also try sending images from the plant purchased locally which came back from seed, I suppose, and has almost daily produced multiple blooms for many weeks.

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angela k Loc: Long Island

WOW!!!!! First off, you have an 8-10' butterfly bush??? My three didn't do so well this year, actually the white flowers didn't bloom at all....
but I love those passion flowers... they are just so different!! So I'm guessing they self seed and that's why you're finding them all over!! I can't wait for mine to start doing something!!

Did Ellen tell you, I had a record breaking day yesterday... released 6 monarchs, 4 girls/2 boys and today another 3, 2 girls/1 boy. The weather has been very rainy and I had to keep them inside until it let up... but they all took off without a hitch!! Getting down to the end... 10 more chrysalis and only 4 more cats and the smallest one is not even 1/2" so that will be my last mouth to feed as the other three are in the last stage before they JHook. I will miss them....
And my milkweed supply is perfect... just enough to feed the last little one!!

Take care and hope you guys had a good weekend... and not as much rain as we're getting!

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

Angela, Ellen says that that the large butterfly bush is more like 7 feet and I was thinking as I again was looking at them today probably less than 8 feet but anyway really large. We have seven butterfly bushes, but the only two that really did well this season was one full size and one miniature, both located in the perennial garden and wouldn't you know the large one is just in front of the swing set. We installed the swing set last year somewhat after the butterfly bush was planted with no idea it would reach such a large size! It wasn't quite as large last year and we were reluctant to move the bush because it had done so well, so pruned it down to about a foot in height, and you know the rest of the story! Also, about the middle of the Summer, we purchased two lantana plants from our local nursery that could survive our winter temperatures and come back from the roots, Thay reached a foot or two in size and when the tops died back in the late fall we covered them with a layer of mulch and some leaves and both were slow emerging this spring so finally pulled back some of the mulch and could see some tiny little leaves emerging from the base of the old stalks and when the outside temperatures finally increased they took off and now are between five and six feet tall! I've been meaning to mention this to you, as I think they would stand a good chance of wintering over in your location if you covered them with a layer of leaves or mulch as we did... Ellen did show me your post on facebook this morning and that's fantastic--nine in two days and a possible fourteen more, Wow! Bet your flowers will be filled with Monarch next year and hope your milkweed flourishes! About like last year for us--we have about 20 t0 30 black swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley under netting, so moved the back up plant under their also as the foliage is quickly disappearing. we also have a few Monarch caterpillars and one has formed a chrysalis at the tiptop of a milkweed plant just under the netting. I think a few have crawled away and also think a few of the adults that are depositing eggs probably were hatched here earlier in the season...I didn't water the plants early today as they were forecasting a ninety percent chance of rain, but no rain so had to water around lunch. I am really concerned about this hurricane and will probably spend the next several days preparing as the forecast is really scary as it's still strengthing and forecast to reach the coast sometime Wednesday with winds perhaps to category four and its forward speed slowing so it could be a double whammy of very high winds and copious amounts of water and we also may have very high tides to contend with! Hoping for the best and you guys take care!

angela k Loc: Long Island

Good morning, Corky...
Even at 7' your butterfly bush is huge compared to ours. We had 5, one didn't make it and only three bloomed but not that many flowers. Because of what I've read, we always cut ours down to the ground in March...
So glad to hear you have many swallowtails and that you do have a pasley backup plant... that was good thinking!!! Why don't you take the leaf off your milkweed, the one with the Chrysalis and clip it to something on your deck... that way you can watch as it emerges and keep it safe!!! We've had two days of rain and thankfully the day I released the 6, the rain had stopped for a bit and they all fluttered away... but yesterday I had three that emerged... it was only drizzling, so I brought them outside and put them under a tall juniper for shelter... well, this morning when I went out to get leaves for the remaing cats, I spot two of the three still there... it's still misting out and it's only 60*!!! Hoping the sun comes out at some point!! So I go get a few leaves from the milkweed... bring them inside and what do I see, a small cat on one of the leaves!!!! So now I have 2 large cats, soon to go into Jhook and 2 teeny tiny ones that I will have to 'cook' for... I'm glad they will be safe and warm inside with me!!

I pray that the hurricane doesn't come anywhere near you or LI... the weather has been crazy all across the world. Start putting things away that can easily be blown around. Take care and keep me posted!!!

Rob48 Loc: Portland, ME

Bravo; I am so impressed with your true devotion to the beautiful monarch!

angela k Loc: Long Island

Thanks Rob... when they all leave my total will be 61!!!! ...unless I find more cats hiding from me on the plant!!

Marg Loc: Canadian transplanted to NW Alabama

Arrived home from the cottage today to find an envelope full of milkweed seeds waiting. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to see what happens!

angela k Loc: Long Island

You are very welcome, Marg... glad they arrived safely and hope they grow big and strong and bring you lots of monarchs in the coming years!!! When all mine leave, my total this year is 61!!!! ...and I thought the 18 from last year was a good thing!!!

If you need any more seeds... I still have plenty, just send me a pm!!

Rob48 Loc: Portland, ME

61, great job, my friend.

angela k Loc: Long Island

Thanks!!!! After thinking 18 from last year was good!!! I'm planting more seeds so they can tell all their friends about my garden!

Tazzy Loc: Tampa area

Great shot