Thinking about experimenting with worm farming? Check out our introduction to worm farm composting (vermicomposting) at home, including our experiences to date using worm farming …
Wildlife, big and small, in the garden and beyond. 🐝 Explore the Green in Real Life blog archives for posts about animals and insects. Tips, ideas, and information on sharing the garden with local wildlife, including supporting beneficial bugs and deterring unwanted garden pests.
Animals and Insects
Monarch Friendly Gardening Tips
I love seeing butterflies of all varieties in the garden. Munching caterpillars are not usually quite as welcome. For baby monarchs however, I happily make …
Eclosing from Chrysalis as a Monarch Butterfly
The journey of supporting the monarch life cycle comes full circle with the emergence and first flight of baby butterflies. In this final post of …
Transforming from Monarch Caterpillar to Chrysalis
After munching their way through caterpillar life, it’s time for the magic of becoming a butterfly to happen in the chrysalis (the pupal stage). So …
Monarch Caterpillar Predator Protection
Since supporting the caterpillar stage of life is a big part of monarch gardening, we’ve expanded caterpillar hosting and helping segment of the monarch friendly …
Housekeeping for Monarch Caterpillar Health
A little help can go a long way towards monarch caterpillar health. Supporting the caterpillar stage of life is a big part of monarch gardening. …
Moving and Relocating Monarch Caterpillars
Monarchs on the move? Sometimes a little lift is required for health and safety in the garden (and beyond). Supporting the caterpillar stage of life …
Hosting Monarch Caterpillars in Your Garden
Next up in our monarch mini-series, we take a look at the caterpillar stage of monarch life. First, we’ll take a look at the basics …
Encouraging Monarch Butterfly Eggs in the Garden
Hoping for monarch butterfly eggs on your swan plants? We’ve be working to make our garden a prime place for growing the next generation of …
Creating a Monarch Friendly Home Garden
Thinking about making your garden a more monarch friendly? It’s currently prime time for monarchs in our part of New Zealand, and today kicks off …
Growing Swan Plant (Milkweed) for Monarchs
If you are keen to help monarch butterflies, why not add a butterfly-friendly buffet to your garden by growing swan plants for monarch caterpillars? Swan …