Getting Butterflies

Who could not love a butterfly? Yesterday I saw a beautiful butterfly hovering over my Mandevilla Vine. I'm pretty sure that little guy was Black Swallowtail and definitely attracted to the dark pink blossom.

Now I want more butterflies. Lots more.

Here's my plan: get plants that butterflies like. I ordered Pentas, a summer-blooming annual. I'll plant 3-4 flats (there's 18 to a flat, so somewhere between 54 and 72 4"-plants) in my front tree box. I like it full. Pentas can take lots of sun and are forgiving if you forget to water a day or two. For my shade gardeners, Impatiens will do the trick too.

If you want to build a more permanent collection of plants butterflies love, you should check out the following perennials. We have them available now. They're full and looking so fresh.
Artemisia, Buddliea "Butterfly Bush," Coreopsis, Delosperma "Ice Plant,", Echinacea "Cone Flower," Helenium "Mardi Gras," Hemerocallis "Day Lilly," Sedum, Thymus, and Parsley.

Important tips to remember. Butterflies like nectar. They are attracted to pink, purple and red. They like plants that they can land on easily while feeding and to lay their eggs on as well. Most important, insecticides are a definite no, no. I found www.butterflywebsite.com to be a good source to begin with and www.enature.com for identifying butterflies in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Now that I've done a little more research, I'm probably not going with the Pentas in the tree box and will plant a combination of Zinnias and Cosmos. That's a big deal for me. I'm not a Zinnia and Cosmos kind of guy, particularly in the front of my house. I think keeping them framed in a tree box, not in the main part of the front garden, it'll be ok.

I remember falling in love with the Zinnias in Morocco. They had Zinnias everywhere. Their bright colors will probably be exactly what I need to pick me up during the dog days of summer. Zinnias and Cosmos are tough plants too. They can definitely take hot, dry weather.

Future post idea.... Hummingbirds. They're wonderful!

Summer Time Check List

We have a few more days left of spring, but I've already moved in to summer-time mode. My garden is thriving, and I'm letting it do its thing. I'm even allowing one weed to shoot up. It's kind of cool... growing over the AC unit in the back hiding it a bit and it has HUGE leaves. I love it! I'm betting it gets ten feet by the end of summer and I can climb up it.

My fig tree is out of control. I basically have to get out of its way. I remember planting it with not being sure it would make it. It's been three years now and this is the year it took off. Two points I'd like to make here: it's ok to plant when in doubt (fear is ok) and second, sometimes it just takes a few years for a plant to hit its grove.

Remember this one "first year sleeps, second year creeps and third year leaps." I know this will be the case for my Japanese Hydrangea Vine I just planted. It hasn't moved, but in a few years I will be so happy I planted it. If you've planted a perennial vine this year, be patient.

Herbs love the heat, sun and dry. All of which I have by chance. I don't know how to explain this but I have them in a northern exposure spot that just happens to get a lot of sun. I guess because it's "exposed." I also think that since they are planted against an eastern wall they are getting hot afternoon sun and the wall radiates heat drying the earth which makes it more similar to their native Mediterranean climate.

I need to water more. I'm a mix of lazy and busy. That's why I only plant tough plants. We've been having some dry weather, don't forget to water. The best time to water is in the morning not evening. Watering at night could cause fungal problems on your plant.

Grooming... that you got a do. I do a little as I walk pass through the garden all the time. At this time of year, you need to be grooming your annuals and herbs. Pick off the spent flowers to encourage new growth and pick off buds before your herbs start to bloom.

This year I planted white petunias under my topiary orange trees and they look SO good. The orange trees are blossoming now and the fragrance is like jasmine. You really notice it when a breeze passing through them.

Wrapping this one up. here's my summertime checklist:

1. Enjoy the garden and do more outdoor living, read books outside on my new deck love seat, take advantage of having more time to myself, work less... hehe.
   
2. Water, water and cont. to think about tough plants that thrive in heat for future planting
3. Continue making my good lemonade. Just posted a new recipe from a reader. It's a good one! Don't forget to add a big sprig of mint.
   
4. Groom and weed. If this one gets out of hand, please email me, I know where you can get a little extra help. I'm connected to landscapers that can do this in half time you'd imagine. Ask them to switch out your propane tank, clean grill, and grease pan and get you an extra tank as well for uninterrupted grilling all summer long.
   
5. Hit the summer sales, and yes we got them going on at the shop as well. You can get a great deal on perennials, get them in the garden, and next year when they come back and bloom, you'll be glad you got them and planted them now.
   
6. Trim back overgrown plants. I have my plants grouped together and trimming them back brings back the texture I worked so hard to create. If you divide plants, give the other half to a friend.
   
7. Add stereo to the garden. I am connected to the really cool sound guys as well. Now you can get planters that are outdoor speakers too.
   

Next post, I'll continue with more things you can do with mint and other herbs. So far, I've made mint burgers, mint tea, and the other evening grilled a whole rockfish stuffed with brown jasmine rice, grapefruit zest, and mint. Delicious. Let me know if you want any of these recipes. The stuffing was really good...

Did you know.... oregano has four times the amount of antioxidants then blueberries. That is strong. Oregano from what I understand is in the mint family too.