Flight Encounter Replanted

Yesterday the Flight Encounter received a makeover. Winter annuals, new milkweed and new nectar plants were all installed to replace the cold burned plants. The butterflies were instantly entranced by the new flowers and especially keyed in on the yellow lantana.  At one point we counted six monarchs, a queen, and two sulphurs all nectaring on the same plant. Another favorite was the hanging baskets of purple petunias which became a pretty obvious butterfly lounge only minutes after they were hung in place.

The new colors have really helped perk up the Flight Encounter and provide new host and nectar plants for our winter butterflies. Right now we have lots of monarchs, a few queens, several cloudless sulphurs, a half dozen zebra longwings, a

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couple of polydamas swallowtails and one lone sleepy orange. Winter always reduces the population to only the most cold hardy species and in numbers lower than in more temperate times of year. For right now we still have a good crop of winter butterflies.

Tomorrow we will be replanting the front annual beds with petunias and dianthus, both cold hardy annuals that will happily survive the rest of the winter season.