Growing Milkweeds in SF for The Monarch Butterfly

Today many people are concerned about our butterfly populations and particularly the western Monarch.   Overwhelming use of herbicides has decimated the milkweed, the Monarch butterfly sole food source.  Once in the millions, now down in the thousands.  

I was asked to plant some milkweed in my Noe Valley garden to help support the Monarch butterfly.  I recalled reading that some species of milkweed are not appropriate to plant in our area.  So I had to do some research and here's what I found.  I was looking for milkweeds that grow here and are easily available from local nurseries.

Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Weed), two cultivars available at Digging Dog Nursery in Mendocino. 

Going by its common name, this plant likes moisture.  Something that is not readily available in our California climate.  Only for the very few moist areas in San Francisco.

English Gardens Tour w/ Mike & Frank - Summer 2022

So here it is.  I've been queried about my trip to England for the past three weeks and what are my main take aways from the trip.  What did I learn and make me inspired to try something new?   One of the reasons I love these trips is the introduction to new ideas, styles and plants.  But the one thing that I really like about the English and is another reason I travel there.  They appreciate, as a nation and culture, their love of nature.  Where that intersects the individual Brits own garden space is wonderful to experience.  I love how they have made gardening an art form.  

The list below is our itinerary and a short description or thought about my visit.  Click on the titles or photo to see more photos of that location:

Chelsea flower Show - London

Five hours walking around Chelsea looking at show gardens, tools, products and lots of design ideas.   What stuck with me, those small planting areas with pollinator friendly annuals and perennials.  Here’s a couple of the more natural displays. 

Burgundy lysmachia and apricot geum was the most interesting color combination for me.