Milkweed & Echinacea

Echinacea (purple coneflower) after removing two intruding milkweed plants.

We have a cold front moving in so planting my inside starters in the ground is delayed once more. I'm now hoping for next Thursday, May 14th but will check the forecast again before putting anything in the ground. Because of that delay, I turned my attention to some milkweed growing too close to an echinacea in my front flower bed.

Last year the milkweed almost took over this section so I don't want to let it grow there anymore (the year before there was a volunteer and I was so happy to have milkweed for the monarch butterflies that I let it stay where it was).

There are about ten more milkweed plants to move but at least two are in their new homes (so that's two fewer to move later). I hope it's not too early to move them but we aren't expected to have frost until Saturday night so hopefully that gives them a little time to settle in. I moved them just in front of one of the holly trees. I didn't notice until after I planted the first one that there was some poison ivy growing there but once I did, I pulled that vine right away with my gloved hand then went in and washed up very well. Hopefully I was careful enough not to get any on my clothes. That ended my gardening session for the day though as I was too tired to continue. Even a few minutes here and there makes a difference though, so I try to do what I can.

One of the milkweed plants in its new home.

Last year I moved some milkweed when it was about this size and it survived just fine but I don't think we had a frost afterward. There are still plenty of other plants to move but it'd be nice if they all survived, including the two I moved today. The ones I moved last year self seeded so we have some in that spot already popping up. If today's transplants survive that will make two purposefully sown patches of milkweed in our garden. I love helping the butterflies.

Happy planting! May God bless you and all you do!