Monarch Mansion

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with growing plants. My father first sparked my curiosity growing tomato seedlings indoors and he showed me how they bend towards the light. Amazing! Later in my teenage years I planted a Mother’s Day garden every year for my mom. My dad helped me grow vegetables, too.

For the past 15 years I have been cultivating my own space. At first it was discovering and maintaining what was already there. Then I started adding to the existing gardens. Some milkweed popped up and I carefully mowed around it. This eventually became a Monarch Waystation and a pollinator garden. The milkweed now grows in at least 5 different spaces and I have seen many monarch eggs, caterpillars and butterflies on them. I even found a cicada nymph exuvum on one recently!

Over the years I added a small vegetable garden, then enlarged it, enlarged it again and added a second one! Every time there is an opportunity I add some more garden space. I think virtually the entire perimeter of the house and garage have been planted.

I enjoy not only watching the plants grow but what visits the gardens, too. I have a tree now dubbed The Bird Tree as there are feeders hanging from it and a bird bath nearby. I can see the tree and all its visitors from inside and from the yard without having to be too close and disturb them. I get a wide variety of birds, squirrels, chipmunks and skunks!