Residential home seeking Monarch Butterflies...

How often do you see monarch butterflies anymore? Other than on your car grill or entangled in your car's windshield wipers? If you're like me, the answer is NOT OFTEN.

In their April/May 2007 issue, Mother Earth News published an article on Monarch butterfly sanctuaries. A migratory butterfly, Monarchs will cover 1500 miles each year, traveling from central Mexico to the United States to lay eggs before returning to the south for winter. However, with increased development in rural areas, Monarchs are quickly finding it difficult to find suitable plants on which caterpillars and adults can feed.

So how can we help?

If you have some extra land space, consider creating a Monarch Waystation, or sanctuary where these incredible butterflies can stop for refueling during their migrations. Don't have much space? It doesn't matter. Every little bit helps. Just add a little milkweed or butterfly weed to your garden beds and you'll be providing a gourmet dinner. Concerned about invasive species of milkweed? Don't hyperventilate yet. There are multiple kinds of milkweed. Common milkweek (A. syriacus) can be invasive but others such as swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) or bright orange butterfly weed (A. tuberosa) are not.

Seed kits and other information for creating Waystations can be found at Monarch Watch.

For other types of butterfly-friendly plants, check the Mother Earth News website and search for "butterfly plants".