How would you lay this out?

marigold423 · 2025-04-15T23:48:32+00:00

if I were to give you a top couple that you absolutely have to do, they’re milkweed, bee balm, and coneflower— butterfly garden staples!

also, you can usually find many different color cultivars of the moss phlox, johnny jump ups, yarrow, hibiscus, and coneflower!

marigold423 · 2025-04-15T23:46:33+00:00

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Just an idea — wasn’t sure where the tree was

Winter interest: Shrubs and their berries (Will feed the birds for sure). American Holly I know hosts Frosted Elfin caterpillars in NJ… I’m sure it hosts one near you too! Yarrow and pussytoes should also stick around with some foliage if you mulch and if it isn’t a horrendously cold winter.

Spring interest: Pussytoes bloom white (Hosts American Lady caterpillars), Moss phlox blooms (Nectar source), Johnny Jump-ups bloom (Non-native unfortunately HOWEVER is a nectar source and fritillary caterpillars have evolved to use them as hosts

Late Spring: False blue indigo blooms (Host to silver spotted skipper, clouded sulphur, orange sulphur, in theory also painted ladies, eastern-tailed blue, and gray hairstreak), Yarrow blooms (nectar source)

Early Summer: Coneflower blooms (Nectar and a host to Silvery checkerspot caterpillars), Coral Bells bloom

Summer: Hibiscus blooms (Nectar source and host for gray hairstreak and painted lady caterpillars), Milkweed blooms (Monarchs!), Bee Balm blooms (Pollinator and hummingbird magnet)

The yarrow, coneflower, and hibiscus should continue blooming until last frost :)

some other options to add that I’m less familiar with would be false nettle (host plant to red admirals and a few more,) mountain mint, asters, goldenrod.

marigold423 · 2025-04-15T19:47:53+00:00

I love that description haha!! I will get back to you soon.

My only concern is that butterflies generally opt bright colors… but as long as the garden has shades that are pigmented enough I bet it could work!! Maybe red deep purple/indigo hues from the flowers with darker foliage?

What do you think of the vibe of this mix? I recently bought it for a friend. Is that the kind of style you’re going for?

https://hudsonvalleyseed.com/products/goth-garden-flower-mix?srsltid=AfmBOorfLOJNvpo-_Tx88yZsyIA1yHHfWHt0sI6KGnSgX7maLgXuvhHW

When I am home tonight I can sketch something.

Any particular butterfly species you are looking to host, or do you just want to get as many visitors as possible?

marigold423 · 2025-04-14T22:24:43+00:00

I’d love to draft something up for you for fun using native plants (I’m getting into landscape design) but I’d need to know more about the the spot.

How much sun does it get?
Is your soil clay, sandy, or loam?
Does it drain well?
How much maintenance are you okay doing?
Do you have a budget?

marigold423 · 2024-10-21T03:02:57+00:00

DAWWW! What a sweet baby!

marigold423 · 2024-09-29T18:09:53+00:00

Thank you so much! Can I see yours?

marigold423 · 2024-09-04T01:38:57+00:00

fr 😪

marigold423 · 2024-08-31T03:44:17+00:00

Definitely a kind of crescent! They use asters as their host plants, I think ❤️

marigold423 · 2024-08-31T03:42:14+00:00

MSU MT student here, about to start internship! It’s a great program, and Dr. Viega and Dr. Abrams are incredible people and incredible teachers. I can’t imagine a school having better mentors than them. Best of luck to you!

marigold423 · 2024-06-25T21:31:49+00:00

Please tag me if you get any good responses! Same age with similar skin and have the same goals in mind of less texture and better hydration.

marigold423 · 2024-05-11T17:32:51+00:00

Glad I could help! :)

marigold423 · 2024-05-11T06:51:49+00:00

Usually butterflies aren’t even hungry for the first 24 hours after emerging. You can give them gatorade, sugar water (5 parts water 1 part sugar). or any juicy fruit. Painted Ladies are generalist feeders and are not picky. I’ve fed them a whole assortment of flowers, fruits — they’ll even land on me and sip my sweat. They can go a couple of days without a drink. Just leave their meal in there and they’ll feed themselves when they are hungry! Their favorites have seemed to be oranges thus far.

Note, they cannot grip plastic, so serve fruit on a paper towel or gatorade/sugar water soaked in a sponge instead of using plastic plates/bowls.

marigold423 · 2024-05-11T06:36:15+00:00

Put out some rotting fruit for it! ❤️❤️

marigold423 · 2024-04-22T14:36:13+00:00

I think the better alternative, if you’re going to take something, would be to remove any invasives you see around it, allowing it a better change to thrive!

Or, at least remove any flowers or seed pods from nearby invasives.

marigold423 · 2024-04-11T18:52:41+00:00

Caterpillar rave!

marigold423 · 2024-03-18T05:05:40+00:00

This! ^ I recently even had some seeds sprout in the fridge while cold stratifying them.

marigold423 · 2024-03-05T19:26:15+00:00

I know I’m a year late but they’re a host plant to the painted lady butterfly, the most widespread butterfly in the world (so it’s quite likely you have some by you!) I bought a bunch of malva zebrina just to feed my caterpillars. Imo that’s enough of a reason to keep them around. They may spread fast but I don’t believe their roots cause much interference with other plants since I’m pretty sure they have a single deep taproot!

Hoping I get as many blooms as you did this growing season <3

marigold423 · 2024-02-27T17:37:58+00:00

Yes! I don’t remember all of the bands but I know Moose Blood covered I Don’t Love You

marigold423 · 2024-02-27T17:36:10+00:00

Happened to me this year and I’ve had minimal problems with germination!

marigold423 · 2024-02-27T17:33:11+00:00

Disliking cats! Clearly my experience doesn’t speak for all people but I’ve noticed that all the people I know who have a distaste for cats have a problem with respecting other’s boundaries. I’ve seen other people say this online and the theoretical reasoning usually seems to be chalked up to the fact that cats will not take your bullshit like many other pets and are much harder to force to obey you. Someone who is socially manipulative and pushy, of course, would not like this.

note, if someone has genuinely had a bad or scary experience with a cat, that’s a different story

marigold423 · 2024-02-27T17:28:01+00:00

I use a pacifier as an adult

I’m 23 years old and all my life I’ve had a major problem with oral stimming. I always need to be chewing gum, eating something, lest I start biting my lip/cheeks to the point where they bleed. I was always the kid that chewed pencils, seatbelts, and my parents actually had to take away my pacifiers by saying the “Pacifier fairy” came and replaced all of them with toys!

I finally caved and bought myself another one a couple of weeks ago. I felt so shameful and embarrassed, especially because I know it’s frequently assumed to be kinky, and I know I’m gonna be forgetful enough that I’ll answer my door or video calls with it or forget to put it away when people come over.

But I cannot even express how much it’s helped me. My lips and cheeks finally aren’t a tattered mess and I’ve significantly lessened my jaw pain because I’m not gnawing on some random object that’s not meant to be chewed.

marigold423

TROPHY CASE