A couple of months ago, we had a very solid raised bed built for...milkweeds. The Monarch butterfly has
greatly declined, as much of its habitat has been lost, and much of the loss involves the host plant, the milkweeds. The Monarch caterpillar feeds on the milkweed, taking in the toxins, present in the plant, as part of its defensive arsenal. We are planting common milkweed, butterfly weed and swamp milkweed.... And any other native milkweed we can find! It is a necessary host plant to insure Monarch survival. The raised bed is made from raw, untreated timbers, and should last 20 years. As you can see in the photos, we lined the bed with garden cloth/hardware cloth to deter voles.
I will post photos as the milkweed emerges!
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