Homeowner shares unbelievable image of back garden with signs of new life: 'I'm pretty sure I squealed when I saw it'

One homeowner drew a chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" on Reddit for a stunning image of their vibrant milkweed-filled back garden in full bloom.

Posting on the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, they had the perfect audience to appreciate a monarch caterpillar in focus on their swamp milkweed with a fleet of bumblebees above and in the background of the shot.

"Oh yeah, it's all coming together," the Redditor titled the post before making a note of a burgeoning "bumblebee retirement community" in their milkweed. 

"A dozen or so bumbles just hang out eating and sleeping on the flowers all day and night," they claimed. "I've taken to petting them when I walk by since they're so docile and slow."

The monarch caterpillar, though, was a star of the show, with numerous posters expressing their envy at the sighting. In creating a haven for bumblebees and monarchs, the OP is doing more than just creating a great landscape to look at. 

There is fear that the monarch butterfly could disappear in the next 60 years if federal protections like designating the species as threatened don't go into place. The iconic butterfly faces threats from changes in weather patterns, pesticides, and habitat loss through increased development. 

The reality is also bleak for bumblebees, which are imperiled by both rising temperatures and herbicides. 

Fortunately, there is some help on the way in the form of a vaccine that will help the bees fight off lethal doses of Neonicotinoids, one class of pesticides. Both bumblebees and monarchs are important pollinators that help pollinate plants and many of the crops we rely on for food sources.

Growing native plants, as the OP did, is a great way to help stem the tide and provide an attractive food source for monarch caterpillars and bumblebees alike. It comes with other benefits, including reducing water usage, cutting down on yard maintenance, and decreasing your use of pesticides and fertilizers, as native plants are more resilient to local conditions.

How often will you be gardening this summer? Every day 🥗 At least once a week 🥕 At least once a month 🌱 I don't garden 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Redditors were equal parts impressed and jealous of the OP's garden.

"I'm envious," a user admitted. "None on my milkweeds so far this year (last year I easily had a dozen)."

"This is beautiful and happiness epitomized," one user wrote.

"I'm pretty sure I squealed when I saw it," the OP revealed in response.

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