I’ve been enamored with all the swallowtail butterflies I’ve seen this summer. They overwinter in a crysalis unlike their monarch cousins who are about to begin their fall migration to Mexico.
You can find a guideline and chart here and look up your latitude to see when the monarchs will pass through your area on their migration route. I’ll be on the look out September 24th through October 6th!
My flowering and fluttering branches
were ready to migrate
with fall on the horizon.
They’ve been blooming since spring~
Cultivated from copies of a vintage
seed catalog with a paper punch.
Butterflies took flight from
a Martha Stewart
’all over the page’ punch~
Magnets help the top of the punch align
with the bottom of your punch on your paper.
Metamorphosis complete,
the butterflies have migrated
to a ironstone pitcher~
Not quite as far as Mexico :)
And a few stopped on their journey
to rest and light on a vintage seed box.
To be replaced by oak leaves on
the window dressing for fall.
Wishing you a safe migration if you’re
travelling over the Labor Day weekend!
Absolutely LOVED this one!
So cute, l love it! What a great idea and inspiration!
Hi Mary, Thanks for the info about the monarchs!! It looks like I will be on the lookout from September 10th or so until Sept. 22nd (I’m at latitude 40) but I’m going north this weekend where they may be waiting now! I’ll let you if I see them passing through! You have so many goodies on those shelves in your potting shed. I love looking at each picture. I like the feather holder. :) Have a wonderful weekend! Linda
I can’t help but wonder how you fine the time to do all that you do. I would love to have you spend a week with me just so I could observe! The monarch story is one that absolutely amazes me. We have many here to my surprise, and every time I see one I think about their long one time journey which will begin soon.
Just love butterflies ! I live in the area where they will be here from 19 September to 1 October. We seem to have so many already. Can’t wait for more! Love the branches you made. So pretty and dainty. Thanks again for sharing! Your posts are always so interesting.
~Mary~
Thank you for the info on the journey of the butterflies, God knows beauty for sure.
And how cute are the branches you made?tooo cute! And always love seeing inside of your garden shed!
Have a safe weekend!
Paula
In.
What a beautiful & EDUCATIONAL post, Mary! I now know my latitude & longitude & to start looking for the Monarchs around 8 – 20 of September. I never knew one could find that out, so thank you for the tip. I shall show this to Ms. C. when she gets here today & we’ll talk about butterflies together.
I love butterflies and have quite a few here as I have planted milk weed for them. Will have to look up when they are leaving my area. Thanks so much for this wonderful information.
Have a safe weekend.
Mary
Beautiful pics… thank you for your post!
We’ve had a plethora of swallowtails this year, too!! Luv to sit in my swing and watch them float in the breeze. franki
So lovely… I do love your potting shed!
I can’t wait to find out when the monarchs will be coming through here…or maybe they already have:( We will be going to our daughter and SIL’s on Sunday. I was in an accident on Wed., got rear ended so my car is at the repair shop:( The holes for the DECK were dug today!!!!! WHOO HOO!!!!!
Very cute Mary! I’m looking forward to your fall changes! Have a great Labor Day Weekend:@)
Thanks for the information on finding my latitude, Mary. I love your potting shed decor and I know a metamorphosis is in the works for Fall. xo
Oh Mary! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I knew their migration was getting close; now I can tell just when to be on the watch. I wish I could go to Mexico & see them roosting all over the trees there. Saw something a couple of yrs ago on TV; then online. You are the best!!! Have a very restful, Labor(free)Day!
What a great post! For my latitude, the date range is 9/3-9/15. Many school teachers teach about them first thing in the school year, and have chrysalises on milkweed plants for the children to watch. I have never seen a chrysalis but there’s lots of milkweed around, and I look and look. Thanks for the reminder for me to look again!
So beautiful. I wish I had seen more butterflies this year, they seem to be lacking in my part of the UK
I just sw your salad in a jar post. Inspirational. I’m going to steal that idea :-)
Much love
Di
xxxx
What a delicate and lovely way to transition into fall, gently turning your blooms into migrating butterflies~wow! you really do think of everything! It is so astounding to learn the immigration patterns of such a fragile and beautiful insect, thank you for sharing the facts and your incredible tribute to the Monarch butterfly. I will be keeping my eyes open in early October for their migration!
Jenna
I will have to have a look at the chart.
Beautiful post, Mary!!
Thank you Mary for this fun post! I love your blooming branches, I will have to try that, maybe next spring. Thank you too for the link to find my latitude, now I can watch for the butterflies at the right time here! I’m looking forward to seeing them. Pet the pups for me :)
Such a charming idea!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
I’d love to see the Monarchs in migration. Thanks for the chart. I think we’re a little far south, but I’ll be watching, just in case a few get off course. :)
Love your paper flowers and butterflies on the twigs and pitcher.
What a wonderful way to celebrate the migration of Monarch butterflies. They pass through here every Spiring and Fall in all their glory. Your arrangement with the paper butterflies and flowers is a creative idea. Thanks for sharing!
Pam
Mary, you are just so darn creative! I have one of those hole punches and I love how you’ve created the flowers. Will be watching for the monarchs this month!
Butterfly migration is a fascinating thing. Your butterfly display is so pretty!
Don’t know how I missed this, but I see loads of pics I need to steal!
Mary, your flowers and butterflies are so pretty and so creative. Love it. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
Everything looks great. The scarecrow is awesome!
The butterfly’s are wonderful. I have been seeing more humming birds coming thru so I will have to keep an eye out for the monarchs too!
Nice job! So many things to look at in your pictures! Just beautiful.
This is so clever, Mary! I love your theme — the butterflies fascinate me too. It always amazes me that something so seemingly delicate as a Monarch butterfly can fly so many miles to Mexico every fall. One of nature’s many miracles!
We captured some pics of butterflies at Brookview Gardens over Labor Day weekend (I have yet to write the post though). I love what you did with the paper flowers and butterflies in your potting shed. I can’t believe it’s almost time to decorate for fall. Have a great weekend, Mary!
Hugs,
Denise
May I move in to your garden shed?…Your creative touches are always captivating…Stunning photos of the butterflies!
Mary, Your vignette is really beautiful and I love the flowers and butterflies. The seed box is amazing! Thank you for sharing this at the Open House party.
xx,
Sherry
You were my inspiration to this week’s tablesetting ~Jennifer