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| Christmas Gift Ideas - Click on Photo to Visit Our Butterfly Store |
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| Spring Butterfly Festival |
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April 14, 2007
9:00AM-5:00PM
Butterflies, food, plants, games, vendors, and more!
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| Farm Hours |
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November 1 - March 20
Open by appointment only.
April 21 - October 31
Mon - Fri 9 - 5
Saturday 9 - 3
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| Are you For Butterflies? |
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Association for Butterflies; Research, Conservation, Farming, and Gardening
Visit www.forbutterflies.org for more information
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| If you know of a butterfly event, please contact us! |
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We will place notice of various upcoming butterfly events in the newsletter and on our website.
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Butterflies! Shady Oak Butterfly Farm
Gardening for Butterflies with Edith
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December 11, 2006
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While enjoying winter, we dream of spring and butterflies!
Which butterflies do we expect to see first in the
spring? Some seem to prefer cooler weather
while others have simply spent the
winter 'tucked away' in a wood pile or other
niche.
Let's look at the lifecycle of a couple of
butterflies which tend to greet spring almost
before it arrives. American Lady, Red Admiral,
and Question Mark butterflies are three species
which may be the first to greet us as we wander
in the garden and across fields.
Edith
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American Painted Lady
Are we mowing these butterflies?
Sandra wandered down her street, collecting
American Lady caterpillars from the ditches to
raise on her back porch.
A woman
came out of
her house and started yelling at Sandra, "Get
out of
here, you leave my butterflies alone!" Never
mind Sandra wasn't in her yard, she was simply
walking the ditch down her road.
The
next day
as Sandra drove home from work, she noticed
the lady had mowed her yard. It was neat and
tidy, mowed close and clean. But when mowed,
she mowed dozens of American
Lady caterpillars nesting in the cudweed which
the homeowner considered 'weeds'.
Oh well, at
least she saved those in the ditch before the
city mowed!
Learn more about the host plants they eat and we mow!
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More Weeds; This Time for Red Admiral Butterflies
False nettle, nettle, pellitory; host plants for Red Admirals!
Hide and seek; the game we all played as
children is a matter of life and death for these
caterpillars!
Red Admiral caterpillars
make a
nest from one or more leaves and spend much of
their lives in hiding. False nettle is easy to
root! Simply stick in damp soil or a cup of water
and wait. False nettle prefers wet soil.
Learn more about Red Admirals and see photos of the wasp who won the game of hide and seek!
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Question Mark ?
The ? on the underside of their wings give these butterflies their name.
Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis
butterflies spend the winter as adults and are
seen in the spring when their host plants start
showing green. Eggs are laid and life speeds up
for these beautiful butterflies.
Eggs are
laid, and often laid in towers of five or more
eggs. Hatchling caterpillars chew their way out
of their
eggshells and promptly start on
leaves.
Tree sap and rotting fruit
delight these beautiful butterflies.
See a tower of Question Mark butterfly eggs and their lifecycle.
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Painted Lady or American Painted Lady?
Can you tell the difference?
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui and
American Painted Lady Vanessa
virginiensis butterflies resemble each other
so much that many people cannot tell the
difference.
A quick look at the spots
on the top or bottom of thier hindwings reveal
thier identity!
Compare the two in photos.
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Buy One Get One Free Postcard Special
December Postcard Special! Every postcard you
purchase in December will be duplicated in your
shipment, free! Order one 'Stinging Caterpillar'
and receive two. Order one 'Hatching Monarch'
and receive two. All postcards will be duplicated
in your order.
Simply indicate in the option box at
checkout 'Free Postcard Offer' and your postcard
order will be duplicated!
Receive 20 postcards for
$5.00!
Butterfly and Caterpillar Postcards
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Merry Christmas
Although we're not at the farm as many hours as
normal, please do let us know if you wish to
drop by. The garden is brown and the office
quiet.
Little Caden, Ester's 18 month
old, is the voice you normally hear in the
background when you telephone. Caden is in a
waist to toe cast, a souvenir of a clash
between him and a pickup truck Wednesday. His
femur is broken but he's fine, laughing and
playing and enjoying all the unusual attention.
We wish you a Merry Christmas! If you need
last minute stocking stuffers or other gifts,
simply visit our online store, phone, or email our
office.
Wishing you the best for the rest of
the year, Edith and Stephen (and Ester
& Michelle)
phone:
877-485-2458
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