We found a butterfly bush on a clearance rack, earlier this year. It looked slightly dejected, but nothing that a little water and fertilizer couldn't fix. This is a "petite" butterfly bush, so it should stay fairly small. The name (Buddleja Flutterby 'Petite Dark Pink') suggests it should have dark pink flowers, but these blooms look more lavender than pink to me-- and certainly not dark pink. However, photos of it online look about the same as this, so I guess it's just another example of the person doling out names having an unusual perception of color.
...In any case, the plant is doing very well now, and true to its name, is attracting butterflies (and other insects, too)!
If it continues to do this well, I'll definitely consider adding more of these in other colors. They're supposedly not invasive, which is good to know. Some butterfly bushes are apparently a problem, in that way.
Hmm... I'm reading that Flutterby Petitie 'Tutti Fruitti Pink' even has scented foliage! (Adding to my wishlist now... ;o))
Some of our insects are masters of disguise...
I read about someone letting mina lobata (Spanish flag) grow up through crepe myrtles, so I decided to try that, too-- only this one's growing on a rose of Sharon. Since it's an annual, it won't get big enough to do any damage to a tree/large shrub. I'll just remove whatever's left of the vine before the rose of Sharon puts out its new leaves for spring.
The Southern shield fern is doing pretty well, I think. It's not getting huge, yet, but maybe it takes a few years to put on much size. Or perhaps it needs richer soil to get large... I can work more organic material into the soil around it, this winter.
I spied something watching me from a leafy vantage point...
A blue-eyed grasshopper?!
It seemed like this bee had decided to claim the seed-grown purple coneflower as its personal property.
Even particles of pollen are interesting when seen close up. Little spheres sticking to the bee like foam packing peanuts! (g)
The 'Joseph's Coat' rose is blooming again!
Here's 'Joseph's Coat' from a slight distance. It's getting taller... Donald thinks we might be able to put up the two sides of the arbor this weekend. We'll leave the top for later, so in the meantime, I guess it'll look like parallel trellises. Having the sides up will allow us to start training the rose through it, though-- and I'll be able to plant the clematis we bought without as much fear that we'll trample them while installing the arbor.
On the subject of roses, 'Apricot Drift' is doing alright. It's flowering, but not profusely.
Green lynx spider hanging out on Mexican purple sage:
The "too-red" rose is blooming, despite being moved so late in the season. (Poor thing really needs pruning after the summer ends.) The flowers aren't large, but it's trying.
Tiger lilies continue.
Marigolds.
It's surprising how big they can grow!
Pinata lavender, with Mexican purple sage on the right and Mexican petunia in the background.
Marigold. Double red KO rose on the left. Black-eyed Susan vine in the back. Supremely pathetic cleome struggling along somewhere in the middle. This has not been a good year for cleome in my garden. Mom's, on the other hand, are thick and lush. I should sow fresh seed next spring.
Marigolds yet again. Yellow KO rose (among other things) blurrily in the background.
"Fancy" echinacea is still blooming prettily and attracting plenty of pollinators.
And that's all for today!
