Elizabeth's Secret Garden

Raising caterpillars in a container is great, but you have to put fresh leaves in daily. If you have a busy schedule, but still want to protect your caterpillars this enclosure will work well for you. All you have to do is tighten it around the branch of your host plant with your caterpillars inside. It is easy to make and low cost.   To make my netted sock enclosure I used scraps of window screening. You can cut out a square of any size depending on the branches size. This window screening square measures 19” x 17”. After cutting out your square you will need to fold it. To sew around the edges I used clear fishing line. It is strong and blends in well. You can use thread if you don’t have any. Because you fold your window screening over you only have to sew the top and side. Leave the bottom open so you can slide your enclosure over the host plant. After you sew both sides, you can turn it inside out so in looks better. The last step is weaving in the string to...

After I started gardening I began discovering new creatures that I never knew about before. My newest discovery is a Hover fly I saw resting on my Passionvine plant. In America they are also called Flower Flies. This name fits them well because they are often found hovering around flowers to drink the sweet nectar. The way a Hover fly flies is similar to a Hummingbird. They can hover in one place while their tiny wings beat countless times. After doing research, I discovered Hover flies come in many sizes and colors. Some mimic the appearance of bumblebees and wasps. If you catch one they will pretend to sting you in an attempt to get away. Don’t worry though these little creatures are harmless and are greatly appreciated in my garden. There are over 110 species of Hover fly larvae that eat aphids and plant lice.   Like butterflies Hover flies start out as eggs, hatch into hungry larvae, make a pupa, than emerge as adults. Thankfully for gardeners these larvae consume lo...

My parents spent two weekends building me a new butterfly pavilion. My old enclosure deteriorated from the sun. My mom designed this butterfly condo to have two floors. The measurements are 7 ft. tall x 4 ft. deep x 5 ft. wide. The lower level houses my milkweed plants and seedlings. The top floor I will use for breeding butterflies and raising caterpillars. For breeding you need a space that measures at least 3 ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft. The structure is built with 2 x 4’s. Outdoor screening is used for the sides and below each floor. The floor boards are wooden fence slaps with about a one inch gap so the water can run through. To keep the rain from injuring the butterflies in the top of the condo we used a sheet of thick plastic over the screening to make a roof. After the first rain the roof was sinking from the weight of the rain. We took a two inch board that was slightly taller and wedged it in to allow the water to drain of the roof. Another option would be to build your pavilion w...

  In Albuquerque, New Mexico they have a BioPark. At the Rio Grande Botanic Gardens you can see a miniature train, aquarium, and even a butterfly pavilion.  http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/garden/butterfly.html The park host a Butterfly Pavilion open spring through fall. Inside the pavilion are many butterflies that are native to North America and also their host plants. The pavilion is constructed of wood beams, window screening, and wooden walk ways. Underneath is a stream that contributes to the peaceful garden. New Mexico has many of the same butterflies we have in Florida where I live. This Monarch and Queen are enjoying the sweet nectar of Lantana.   This Giant Swallowtail is posing for the picture. A White Peacock butterfly! I got to raise eight of them and released them in our yard. This is a Pipevine Swallowtail. The Zebra Longwing and Julia Heliconian both eat Purple Passionvines. They live only in warm states. ...

Right after making a chrysalis, the Polydamas Swallowtail’s chrysalis is a yellowish color. The yellow rubbed of causing a stain on the Kleenex. After drying though, the chrysalis darkens to be a green color.   When the butterfly inside the chrysalis has completely developed, the chrysalis will change to a black color. This means the butterfly inside will soon come out to reveal its beautiful wings. When ready to come out it uses its front legs to push through the chrysalis. To fit in the chrysalis the butterflies wings must be all folded up. When it comes out, it finds a place to hang and starts pumping the fluid from its abdomen into its wings. It only takes a few minutes for its wings to be fully lengthened, but it takes hours for its wings to be dry enough to fly. Polydamas Swallowtails (also known as Gold Rim Swallowtails) advertise their bad taste by their bright colors. On their body they have orange spots and orange triangles along their abdomen. On their wings ...