Summer of Love- Our Monarch Butterfly Story
This summer we had several butterfly releases at CGN. There were days where the flowers in the nursery were alive with a variety newly hatched pollinators. For many of the kids who participated, it was the first time they got to hold a butterfly! Our 2024 Calendar and Garden Guide features a favorite pollinator with a close connection to Country Gardens & Nursery, read about it below. We will definitely have more releases next summer!
-Megan
The Story behind the 2024 Gardening Guide & Calendar Cover Monarch-
You may have noticed the large mural of a Monarch butterfly, cocoon and caterpillar on our doors at the nursery. My original plan for the mural on the second door was to paint a Swallow Tail butterfly. Their graceful long tails in the sunflowers would make a fun painting. But the day I was leaving to start preparing the door for the mural I stopped to look at my milkweeds. Something caught my eye.
Close up shots of one of the two murals I panted at CGN. See more at JanetJohnsonArtist.com
There, beneath the bloom was the Dr. Seuss-like form of a small caterpillar. My heart jumped! It had been years since I had seen a monarch caterpillar in the valley! I took that as sign and changed the mural to a monarch butterfly, including the caterpillar, and its cocoon. I was hoping the good omen of finding the caterpillar would help me with painting the mural. I also hoped it would be a mutual bit of good luck for the caterpillar to make it to a butterfly. As the summer progressed the little caterpillar got fatter and fatter. By August the mural was complete. Shortly after that, the caterpillar disappeared!
I carefully looked through all the milkweed leaves, with no sign of our little friend. I hoped it was not swallowed up by a hungry bird. About a week later, my husband discovered a beautiful jade cocoon on our sweet pea vine. The caterpillar made it! The wait began, it could be 7 days or even months before the butterfly emerged from the cocoon.
Summer turned to fall, the little green jewel of the cocoon grew gold beads along the top. As the days got cooler and shorter, the cocoon did not change. By mid-October a cold spell of 17 degrees was predicted to happen in 7 days. On the 5th day before the predicted frost the cocoon turned black and slightly transparent. We could see a wing had formed through the cocoon. We waited and watched. Would it hatch or was this the end?
Early in the morning, 3 days before the frigid weather was to arrive I went out to check on our sweet little pollinator. There, before my eyes, was a magnificent monarch queen! She had made it! After the sun warmed her wings, she stretched them out and took off into the sky heading southwest! I am glad my mural documented the gift of her presence. What a blessing to have watched this incredible process over the summer!
-Janet
ps- you can see the first mural on my website here @janetjohnsonartist.com
Monarch butterfly’s first flight!
