08/24/2026
I still remember learning about Monarch butterflies in second grade. The caterpillars eat milkweed — only milkweed — and then they turn into one of the most beautiful insects on the planet. Somehow I held onto that fact for thirty years and never once thought to plant milkweed in my own garden. It turns out it is one of the most useful things a backyard gardener can do right now, and it is easier than most people think. There is also a detail in the comments about collecting seeds that most people get wrong, and a cold stratification step that determines whether your seeds germinate at all. Everything is in the comments.
