Famine to Feast

I've checked my swan plant mournfully all season.  Not a single Monarch caterpillar to be found.  Mind you, I hadn't seen any butterflies around either and we are not exactly in suburbia where flower gardens abound.  But then I found a paper wasp nest (they eat caterpillars for lunch) in the swan plant.  I disposed of it a few weeks ago and now I can't believe my eyes.  The plant is covered in black, yellow and white striped munchers.  And some of them are big!

The plant is pretty big and seems to still have plenty of leaves so I'm just going to let them go for it and hopefully some of them will make it through to butterfly stage.  Go little caterpillars!! 

Swan Plant Seeds - for Laura

Just a quick piccy for Laura from Darroch Cottage.  These are Swan Plant seed pods and seeds when they are ready to harvest - I took this shot last year.  By the way, if anyone in Kiwi land wants a few seeds, send me an email with your address and I'll post you a few.  I can't guarantee their viability as I haven't sprouted any, but worth a try to get Monarch Butterflies into your garden.

And I've got a "I'm back" post half sorted for tomorrow.  See you then!!