Yeah, me too...
I've had one or two hanging around for about 2 wks now nectaring like mad, but I know it's too late for ELFs. I hope to see a lot more in the way of butterflies in general, but esp. the Monarchs.

Scarce is an understatement. I've seen 2 the entire season, and not one egg or caterpillar this year. Huge disappointment...

I saw two today as well, for the first time all year. I planted all this milkweed but I never got anything. Here's hoping for more next year!

This afternoon, I saw a monarch, nectaring, at Maplewood Skilled Nursing, in Sauk City, Wisconsin. It was sunny, 70 degrees F, and around 3pm. This is pretty late for monarchs to be migrating south, but the weather is cooperating, so far.

This just emphasizes the importance of providing a variety of host and nectar plants for all the pollinators that will be available throughout the season, even the extreme early and late. I had been disappointed that my Mexican Sunflowers hadn't bloomed earlier, but now I'm glad they are blooming now.

Martha

Martha,

as a fellow northerner I either start Mexican seeds indoors one month before avg last frost OR the past couple seasons I have bought plants for a much longer bloom period. Mine are still blooming in Minnesota....but the cold will end them soon :(