I've had my eyes on several parcels of Common Milkweed plants, all of which had been in clusters of tight flower buds that, I suspected, wouldn't be opening for business for several more days. However, as I walked by them late this afternoon, it was obvious that, once again, I really had little skill as a botanical prognosticator. (I'm pretty bad on the weather, too.) The first of these intricate and complicated blossoms was ready for business, and, more importantly, ready for Monarch butterflies, who time their journey north to coincide with the availability of milkweeds, the primary food of their caterpillars. The adults actually don't need the flowers, although they're not averse to sipping milkweed nectar, and it turns out the butterflies are, at best, ineffective pollinators. It's the foliage they're after, and the blossoms seem to be a sign that the plants are in good shape for nurturing young Monarchs. It's only a matter of time before the gaudy adults appear. I'm on alert.