Spring in California has sprung. The rain has brought with it the vibrant desert Super Bloom and a rainbow of flowers in my coastal backyard. My small garden is filled with lavender, flowering sage and my butterfly bushes are full and ready.

 This is the time of year, I start planning for the Monarchs, hummingbirds and bees, clearing and cleaning out any old weeds to make room for milkweed and nectar producing bushes. Trips to the garden center will be squeezed into busy days, as I overspend on seedlings and flowers and garden gadgets. 

The caterpillars devour the milkweed, so I can never keep up with the demand. Real life hungry caterpillars crowd and chomp on the leaves until bursting and ready for their miraculous metamorphosis.

On earth day, I worked on this butterfly that I am calling a love bug. Upcycling an old cardboard box seemed a good way to honor our stressed earth though it definitely does not feel like enough.