The Traveling Monarchs--the story behind "Taking Flight"

These past weeks, I have had a thrilling sight outside my kitchen window--monarchs are visiting on their way to their home in Mexico.


My family and I moved into this house sixteen years ago. The house needed a huge overhaul which we did a while back. But the yard was unbearable. (Think Teenage Wasteland. LOL.)


I am not the best gardener. I like to put things in the ground, toss some water in its direction, and yank out the weeds on occasion. Once, I read a local gardening column about the attributes of lantana. The biggest plus being "you can run a car over it and it still grows."


I was sold.



Here's some information from Wikipedia about Lantana: Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. Their common names are shrub verbenas or lantanas.


The neighborhood I lived in prior to this one was so caring. We traded food, help, gardening. When I determined I needed this plant at this house, I went to see Molly. She had a whole flower bed full of the pink and yellow variety and said she would gladly give me a piece.


What's not to love about a plant which needs little care? Every year, I trim mine back. And it returns. My area has been under drought conditions. October brought a few relieving showers. Considering all this, my lantana has grown to cover an area eight feet in diameter.

My lantana and a monarch!

And thus, a haven for the monarchs, and even hummingbirds. Here's some information about monarchs: http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/monarch-migration.html

There have been all kinds of fluttery visitors this year, but I am partial to the monarchs. I have a very good reason to be, too. Their migration is an integral part of a once-in-a-lifetime story I shared with a friend who passed from cancer a few years ago. Muse It Up Publishing graciously published my story about this day, "Taking Flight," in their cancer anthology, Lavender Dreams. It's a sweet, tender short piece.

 Have you had any friendly visitors?


Vicki Batman is rejoicing in the fabulous fall weather by watching butterflies. Find her at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com or at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com. Find Lavender Dreams at: http:museituppublishing.com