What is Eating all the Milkweed?

Decimated leaves of milkweed plant

I know that a variety of insects feed on milkweed and I have marveled at the variety that are attracted to this plant - from butterflies and bees that feed on the nectar of the flowers, to the caterpillars and beetles that feed on the leaves. In the past there has always seemed to be plenty of plants to support all of these insects, but this year, the demand on these plants has taken a toll.

Back and June I saw the first monarch caterpillar on a milkweed plant next to our house. I watched it as it grew and I assume that it made it's way to form a chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly. A couple weeks later, this same milkweed plant was completely covered with tussock moth caterpillars.  Although there were several other milkweed plants nearby, this particular one seemed more favorable than the rest, which was unfortunate, because it certainly could not support the number of caterpillars that were trying to feed on it. I have never seen anything like it, and have not noticed such an infestation on any of the other milkweeds since.

Tussock Moth Caterpillar invasion, and what looks like a little inchworm.

Almost every inch of the plant was covered in addition to hundreds of larvae on the house. I am not sure what happened to them, because within a few days they were gone.

I have also noticed that some of our milkweed plants have appeared to be eaten by something larger than insects, since in addition to large chunks taken from the leaves, the plants themselves have been knocked over. I know that we have a neighborhood porcupine and wonder if perhaps it is the culprit.

Milkweed stalks pulled to the ground.

On Saturday, I was happy to see that in spite of the struggle that the milkweed plants seemed to be having, I saw two small monarch caterpillars on one plant. A monarch will typically lay just one egg on a plant and since one caterpillar was quite a bit smaller, they probably came from two different butterflies.  Unfortunately,  yesterday I witnessed how Nature can sometimes be cruel as a beetle decided to make a meal of one of the caterpillars. I am not certain, but think the the beetle was an early stage of a predatory stink bug. I would be grateful if someone could confirm.


As sad as it was to see this, I understand that it is all part of the cycle of nature. When I checked on the milkweed plant later in the evening, there were three more beetles which I knocked off the plant. I am hoping that the one monarch caterpillar lives, but I know that statistically less than ten percent of eggs laid will survive to become adult butterflies. I support the planting of milkweed to support monarchs, I do not believe in overly heroic measures to save them, as nature typically knows what she is doing, by supporting millions of species, all which serve some purpose, even though we  humans can't always see what that may be.

Lemon Quinoa with Chickpeas

Lemon Quinoa with Chickpeas and Asparagus

This is a simple dish and with canned chickpeas, it comes together in about 30 minutes. Served here with asparagus, it's a quick summer meal.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpease
1 lemon
salt and pepper
1 cup quinoa
1 lime
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup pistachios chopped

Rinse chickpeas and combine in bowl with zest and juice from lemon and salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. Cook quinoa per package directions. In a blender, blend juice from lime, honey, mint, dash salt and 1/2 cup water until smooth. Warm chickpeas in marinade over stove or in microwave. Drain and serve with quinoa. Pour sauce over both and sprinkle with pistachios. 

The Biggest Little Farm

The Biggest Little Farm has had an extended showing at our local independent theater for the past few weeks. I have been wanting to see it, but after-work hours are precious in the summer with a never-ending list of outdoor to-do items, so finding the time has been difficult. Fearing that this may be its last week, and since it rained most of the day, making the garden too wet for work, this evening was a perfect time to go to the movies.

I had heard good reviews, and thought that it would just be a pleasant movie to watch about two young city-dwellers who give up everything to fulfill a dream of owning a farm.It is that as Molly and John Chester left their comfortable lives of chef and filmmaker to become full-time farmers, but it is so much more. In addition to the magnificent cinematography, it is a story that evolves over seven-years and shows the evolution of the property from a conventional farm where most of the soil was bare and devoid of life, to a thriving living organism that supports an abundance of life. The realities of the journey that entailed failures and tragedies before successes are what make the movie exceptional and an emotional experience for viewers. If you haven't seen it already, I encourage you to find a local showing and become inspired while being reminded of the intricacies and complexities of the natural world of which we as humans can never fully comprehend, but can certainly appreciate and learn to accept.   

Blueberry Tea-Torte

I love going outside early in the morning and picking fresh blueberries to put atop cereal or yogurt. We are fortunate to live on a lot that has several high bush blueberry plants. And come July it is always a race between us and the birds for who gets them first. This blueberry torte recipe was easy to make and came out very moist.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups blueberries dusted with flour
1 cup chopped pecans 

Sift dry ingredients into large bowl. Stir in eggs, sugar and extract. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake at 300 degrees F until cooked through, about 1 hour.

Pause Before Cutting

Now that summer is officially here, everything is growing like crazy. This includes not only flowers and vegetables, but weeds as well. Although it is easy to be tempted to get out the  weed wacker at every opportunity (particularly since I just got a new ECHO cordless trimmer), using manual tools will cause less harm to unintended targets. It is breeding season and if you aren't careful, you may inadvertently disturb a nest or destroy foliage to which certain species rely. This is what almost happened yesterday, when I went to remove a milkweed plant next to our foundation. Fortunately, I looked first and noticed a small monarch caterpillar. It was only about an inch long and would have been easy to miss. To prevent moisture buildup around the sill, we keep plants away from the foundation, but this one will be allowed to stay.

Common milkweed

Small monarch caterpillar

As the temperature heats up, salads become a perfect meal and are easy to modify based upon what is in season and what you have available in your kitchen. This recipe, adapted from Good Housekeeping, is packed with protein and was a breeze to put together.

White Bean, Tuna and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh green beans

1 15-oz can small white beans

1 5-oz can albacore tuna

3 hard boiled eggs

1-2 heads romaine lettuce

1 cup baby spinach   

1 Tablespoon pesto

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Fresh basil leaves

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

Trim and cook the green beans until barely tender (3-4 minutes.) Rinse under cold water and set aside. Drain and rinse the white beans. Trim lettuce and tear into small pieces. Toss in a large bowl with the spinach. Add the beans, tomatoes and tuna. Make dressing by combine the pesto with the vinegar and oil. If too thick, add more oil and vinegar. Toss the dressing into the salad and top with egg slices and basil leaves.

 

Ferns Ferns Everywhere

Sensitive ferns

We returned from a two and a half week vacation the beginning of June. When we had left in May, Spring had barely started, but while we were away the plants really took off. The most noticeable growth was with the ferns. I love these feathery plants, but not want them taking over my perennial beds.

I recently purchased a pocket guide to ferns of the Northeast, Identifying Ferns the Easy Way by Lynn Levine.  The ferns in our yard provided me with a good opportunity to practice these identification techniques. The photo above shows a group of Sensitive Ferns (Onoclea sensibilis) in one of my planting beds. Their name is derived from the fact that they are sensitive to the first frost. The plants will turn brown later in the season. They prefer partial shade and wet soils, and the plants are often used as shelter by frogs and salamanders. This area where they are growing is not particularly wet, but it does receive some shade from a crabapple and white pine trees.  

Hay-scented ferns (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)

In another perennial bed, Hay-scented ferns have taken over. The Hay-scented ferns are great for adding to a bouquet of flowers. They grow individually and seem to grow anywhere. Here they enjoy partial shade under an oak and choke cherry tree. They are easy to pull up, so I am constantly thinning them over the summer. The book reads that Hay-scented ferns can interfere with the regeneration of hardwood forests and looking at the photo above, it is easy to see why. 

The Hay-scented fern can sometimes be confused with Lady fern, latin name Athyrium angustum (above.) There are a couple key differences. Instead of fronds growing individually, they grow in clusters. This cluster next to our foundation comes back every year. Another unique feature is that the stalk of the Lady fern it will be covered with dark long scales as in the photo below.

  

Ferns are a resilient and amazing plant in that they first appeared on earth 400 million years ago and have survived several mass extinctions. Ferns come in all shapes and sizes. While hiking in the White Mountains this past weekend, we observed this ferns on a large glacial erratic boulder. It was only about three inches long. I never cease to be awed by the variety and uniqueness of species in the natural world, and now, but learning a little more about them, I have an even greater appreciation of  ferns.

Wheat Berry and Lentil Salad

A nice side dish or serve as a main course.

Ingredients:
2/3 - 3/4 cup wheat berries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lentils
2-3 carrots diced
Juice squeezed from 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon Sriricha or hot sauce of choice
1/4 cup shaved almonds
3 Tablespoons olive oil 
Cherry tomatoes halved for garnish
2 springs of fresh Parsley chopped 


Bring wheat berries and 5 cups of water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 1 hour, or until berries are cooked, but still chewy. Drain and cool. Mix olive oil, lemon juice and hot sauce and set aside. Bring lentils, carrots and 3 cups of water to a boil; simmer until tender 20 - 25 minutes. Cool in water for 15 minutes. Drain lentils and mix with cooked wheatberries. Stir in dressing and almonds. Garnish with parsley and cherry tomatoes. Serve at room temperature or chilled.