milkweed warning

My gardens are my domain, and the lawn is my husband's, and we have found that the key to a happy marriage is to avoid interfering with each other's domain.

However, my husband did have one request concerning one of my gardens last fall - he asked that I not grow anymore milkweed. I can't blame him. You see, they sprawled, twisted, toppled over, and basically looked atrocious by mid September. They did look really bad.

But...milkweed plants are so cute when they're small, aren't they? As they grow, the leaves are perfect for the kids to use for making nature prints, but best of all, is the non-stop parade of interesting visitors they attract. Monarch caterpillars lay their eggs under the leaves, and later the grown butterflies feed on the nectar of the flowers, along with many other species of butterflies. Hummingbirds love them too, and last year the kids and I watched "hummingbird wars" as they fought for dominance over our milkweed kingdom. And, who doesn't enjoy making "wishes" with the magical seeds as they drift out of the seedpods in fall.

Maybe I'll just "accidentally" forget about that little conversation my husband and I had last fall...