My friend Angela over at Plants Nouveau, who writes The Weeding Gnome newsletter here in Baltimore, had the right idea.

Like me, she found Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars in her garden. But she brought them indoors to share the metamorphosis process with her kids.

Her caterpillars are safe from birds now, which is probably what happened to mine when they disappeared from the parsley on my deck.

I had thought to put some kind of canopy over the little ones, but I didn't act fast enough.

Stay tuned. Angela promises pictures of the chrysalis tomorrow.

Photo credit: Angela Treadwell-Palmer