Hearing about the decline of the Monarch Butterflies we decided to plant milkweed in our front yard as a way to support their food source. It took one or two years for the plants to take hold, but now we have four established plants... and we have monarch caterpillars and butterflies enjoying our labor!
The milkweed plants have beautiful red, yellow, and orange flowers with elongated green leaves. What I didn't realize is how much the caterpillars would eat! They DEVOUR the plants down to the stems!
 |
| Where do you get nourishment? (Photo: Monarch Caterpillars - Larry Gardepie) |
At times we have had adults and children stopping by and watching the Monarchs flitting about... and then notice the caterpillars crawling all over the plants. One child asked me the first year, "You don't mind them eating the plants?"
That question stopped me: we also have fruit trees and vegetable plants where I become upset when the insects take over and denude the plants. Why not the milkweed? Why am I not upset at the Monarchs?
 |
| How much do you share what you have? (Photo: Milkweed and Monarch Caterpillars - Larry Gardepie) |
I guess my response to the child ("No, I don't mind") depended on context: the Monarchs need our help to survive and the milkweed was planted for that purpose. Plus, I had no other use for the milkweed except for being connected to the natural cycle of life.
I was growing the oranges, tomatoes, basil, watercress, arugula, chard, and rosemary, on the other hand, for our dinner table.
 |
| What happens when you are transformed? (Photo: Milkweed Flowers and Monarch Butterfly - Larry Gardepie) |
A child's innocent question invited me to consider when and how I share my abundance. And... that is where our transformation begins:
- Our ability to ask or listen to a question;
- Our openness to honestly reflect on our experiences; and,
- Our willingness to change.
What transformation or metamorphosis have you experienced lately?
 |
| Larry Gardepie
Dialogue San Diego Consulting
|
No comments:
Post a Comment