8.22.2011

Cocoon

For Ella's birthday she got a little butterfly house. After we got back from vacation in July I went online and ordered her some caterpillars. They arrived and grew and grew and grew and actually turned into cocoons. After about a week the butterflies emerged and the kids loved watching them eat and fly around their little house. 

After a couple days we decided it was time to let them go. We went out in the back yard and opened their little door and away they flew. Ella was pretty sad that they flew away so fast and didn't stay around to play. I told her we'd have to get some more caterpillars for you.

Jump ahead a couple weeks....

I was out in my garden and came across a monarch caterpillar. Upon closer inspection there were two caterpillars. So I cut off the milkweed that they were hungrily eating and brought it inside and put it in the butterfly house. After a couple/few days they turned into beautiful cocoons.





Now we wait for them to emerge beautiful butterflies. It's hard to see from the photo, but their cocoons are very pretty and they have a line and some specks of gold on them as well. 

Now on to the garden - I have to take a picture of this thing. I have cantaloupe and watermelon growing in my pepper plants. I have tomatoes growing in my zucchini plant, cucumbers everywhere - you get the idea. 

Here is a photo of what I picked on Friday.


See what happens to your pickling cucumbers when you let them grow too long? They get big, but I'm just making relish so it's fine. The cantaloupe are almost ready to pick and the watermelon is getting bigger. The squash are almost done also - it's fun!

2 comments:

vicki said...

Ella, your caterpillars are really cool.I wish I could see them.The cocoons are so interesting. Shan, I have been wondering how your garden was doing. It looks like your having a great crop. I agree, it is fun. I have cukes, tomatoes and peppers. Take some more pics of your stuff. I love to see how its doing.

Anonymous said...

The Cocoons and caterpillars are so cute.Next year Ella will have more butterflys.They'll just be new ones.The produce from your garden looks like it should be at the Minnesota State fair.I wish I was able to have a garden.It would be awesome to grow your own food.Maybe then I would even eat vegetables...maybe.Been thinking about Ella.I'm sure school has started.I hope you post pictures of her first day of school.Maybe I should look on the blog again.Make some Zuccini (spelling?) bread for your favorite Aunt.That's a great way to get vegetables.
Uncle Jill and Uncle Bob