A Butterfly Sort Of Day

The other day while walking around our garden, there they were! Three different butterflies all together on my butterfly milkweed. And if you look closely, you will see the monarch caterpillars. In the 4 days since I have taken this picture, they have managed to eat the whole plant. Reminds me of the book Hungry Hungry Caterpillar. Amazing how one little guy can eat so much.

My granddaughter, Zoe, has discovered a whole new world with bugs and such this summer. She is always searching for them and asking questions. She creates little boxes just in case one might need a home. Zoe is now learning why we want to protect these beautiful caterpillars so they can turn into butterflies. I have been invited to some home book parties and have been getting her books about bugs. I hope she keeps her enthusiasm up and learns everything she can about them and nature. I am so very blessed that they live next door.

While it has been since March since I have hugged her or my other grandchildren, at least, I am social distancing and watch the joy as she discovers something new each and every day. I think I will be getting her the butterfly folding guide I have listed at the bottom of this blog post so she can put names to all the other butterflies she finds.

Stephanie Fleming, Beyond Behnke’s

Butterflies of the Mid-Atlantic States

Stephanie Fleming

Stephanie Fleming was raised at Behnke’s Nurseries in Beltsville. Her Mom, Sonja, was one of Albert & Rose Behnke’s four children. She was weeding from the moment she could walk and hiding as soon as she was old enough to run, so many weeds, so little time. Although she quickly learned how to pull out a perennial and get taken off of weed pulling duty.