"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Monday, April 27, 2009

The new butterfly garden.

What does a gardener do with spare time and too little planting space?  They make a new garden!  That's exactly what happened this weekend.  We started our garage cleanup Saturday morning and while my husband was taking some garbage to the dump I had some free time.  Free time usually results in a new project in the garden.  So, as I looked around the front yard I decided to pull back the edging in front of the lilac and butterfly bush.  I pulled all the edging stone and dug out what seemed like endless amounts of turf.   
This is what it looked like at the end of Saturday.  I felt like I had one of the hardest workouts I've had in a very long time.  It is about 4 or 5 feet wider than it was.
The next day I spent digging and leveling the stones.  I had to have "the muscle" chisel one of the stones to fit.  Then I filled it in with lots of garden soil.  I know I need several more bags to fill in the low spots, but I couldn't resist planting.  Everything I planted I already had and just transplanted to this area, except for the Salvia 'May Night' that I found at Home Depot when we went for the soil.  
The plants that were already there plus what I moved in should all attract adult butterflies or their larvae.   In front of the butterfly bush (buddleia alternifolia) and lilac I planted:  penstemon, echinacea, scabiosa, liatris, monarda, salvia and Wallflower (erysimum).  I have a lot of other butterfly attracting plants and shrubs nearby as well.  I edged it with lamb's ears (stachys), I don't know if it attracts butterflies, but just thought it would be pretty there.  Quite a few of these will also attract hummingbirds.  I moved a birdbath to the new planting area with a stone in it so birds or butterflies can drink out of it.
It's right out our living room window and I can't wait to watch the butterflies and birds enjoy it.
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31 comments:

  1. Catherine, That is a beautiful area for the birds/butterflies. That will bring you so much enjoyment and the colors will be so attractive. I have some lamb's ears and "big" ears and I can't remember if the blooms attract them either. We will see!

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  2. I bet you are as sore as I am! It looks great and I can't wait to see how it matures.

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  3. I'm glad to learn that I'm not the only who does that (let me just make that bed a little wider, nothing unreasonable, I promise). Your butterflies will appreciate the free time you had.

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  4. I'm sure the butterflies will love it and it will be beautiful! it already looks good.

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  5. It looks great! You are such a hard worker and obviously it pays off. Are you going to add a puddle so they can do some puddlin' as well?
    Do lambs ears like bright full sun? I think I need to move mine. I thought I bought more last year for another spot and the ticket says that but 'lychnes' came up. I think someone got tags mixed up at the nursery.

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  6. Alot of work and boy are you going to enjoy that! I love my May Night Salvia, I cut all of the spent flowers off last week and it's already putting on new ones and the plant is bushing out more, love it when that happens.

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  7. Awesome!! Yes, this is exactly what gardeners do in spare time. Be careful though-as the gardens grow-there goes the spare time:)

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  8. That looks great. Keep us posted as it fills out. have fun!

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  9. Great garden!! Your plant list includes so many of my favorites. Buddleia has kind of a bad rap for being invasive but I planted some anyway. I can manage it if it tries to make a run for it. If all else fails, call in the backhoe! Thank you so much for ID'ing my Mystery Flower. I love it!

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  10. Mildred - Thanks! I wonder if they will like the flowers. Mine get tall pink ones.

    Phillip - I'm definitely feeling it today :) I hope once it warms up more the plants grow fast.

    Prospero - It's hard to relax and enjoy the garden when there is always something to do or room to plant.

    Sheila - Thanks, I hope we get some more varieties too.

    Linda - Good idea for a puddle! My lamb's ears were up all winter and growing like crazy now. I hope yours come back. It's frustrating to pay for something and end up with something else.

    Darla - I've read about this Salvia and heard it was a good one. I think I'll cut back most of these flowers since they're almost done anyway.

    Tina- Isn't that the truth?! I'm so sore today that even if I did have spare time I couldn't do anything :)

    flowrgirl1 - I will. Hopefully in a couple of months they will be a big difference already.

    Bonnie - I'v been lucky with buddleia, it's never spread for me although I know it can be invasive. I also love it too much not to have. I'm glad I could help with your id, they are really pretty flowers aren't they?

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  11. That was pretty industrious to tackle in your spare time Catherine. It turned out fabulous tho. I love when I have more space in which to plant and if you didn't even have to buy plants ~ all the better. Show us an update as it fills in!

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  12. Catherine-
    Looks great! You'll have to post pictures of the butterflies that are going to visit it.

    I've been looking around my yard and making plans; hopefully my back will get the all-clear from the doctor soon!

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  13. Hi Catherine, oh what a delight when we can have both flowers and butterflies, hummingbirds are the icing on the cake too. It looks great already, love the stones. So funny that you had to go ahead and plant, I would have done the same thing. Some things cannot wait! HA
    Frances

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  14. Geez Louise, that's a pretty big area for one weekend. Major Kudos to you, Catherine. I love your plantings. I've always wanted to grow Buddleia alternifolia but it requires more room than I can spare.
    Love the birdbath and the cottage stone edging. Methinks your neighbors are going to be singing your praises. More photos as it fills in, pretty please. :)

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  15. What a wonderful accomplishment! Don't you just feel wonderful? May you have many butterflies, plant it and they shall come :).

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  16. Girl I wish I had some free time to make a new garden. I still got maters and zucchini that needs planting!

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  17. I got a rush when I read about your digging the grass out and putting more plants in. It's looking great!

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  18. What a lovely idea - I hope you get loads of butterflies!

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  19. Kathleen - Sometimes I end up with more plants than space and just squeeze them in. Now these plants should have the space they need.

    Laura - I hope I see more butterflies than usual now. I hope your back is better so you can enjoy your garden.

    Frances - Waiting to plant is pretty much impossible for me :) I definitely need to get some more soil though.

    Grace - Thanks, it was a lot of work and I'm pretty tired still. I love this buddleia, it gets giant, but luckily it has lots of space. The flowers on it make the whole front yard smell good.

    Iowa Gardening Woman - I'm really happy I got it finished, especially since it was a spur of the moment decision to start. I hope the butterflies come :)

    Susie - I've got plants sitting on the back deck still, this was sort of an impulsive thing. I'm known to do these types of things around here :) Hope you get your veggies planted.

    Sue - Our eventual plan is to get rid of a lot of the grass in the front. I think I'll have my husband do the rest. It's hard work!

    Phoenix - Thanks, I hope I do too and can get some pictures of them too.

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  20. Hi Catherine- I bet you were sore when that project was done! It looks very nice. I am starting a new planting bed my self but I am overwhelmed already. Your will look so nice in just a matter of weeks it should all fill in. Good project!

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  21. What a perfect spot! I can't wait for the pictures of that garden!

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  22. Well done on all your hard work - it looks good now and will be great by summer! The butterflies and birds will certainly appreciate it as much as you'll appreciate being able to watch them!
    (glad it's not just me that changes beds on a whim in a few 'spare' minutes!!!)

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  23. Hi Catherine, a big reason why I don't edge my planters is because I'm always enlarging them, too! Alot of work but nothing like more room to excite a gardener, eh? Your monarda may take over and that may become the 4th plant on your bad list..lol..I have the same issue with the bishop weed (but I call it Snow on the Mountain). Can't wait to see your new bed mature :)

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  24. How exciting! I've found myself gardening mostly to attract the birds and butterflies to my yard these days. I'm always delighted when I see a new species stop by for a visit!

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  25. Heather - Is your new bed that big row garden? That would be overwhelming, but you'll have fun still I bet.

    Tessa - Thanks!

    Nutty Gnome - I'm glad I'm not the only one too. I'm sure that spare time could've gone to cleaning the house, but that's no fun :)

    Lynn - I've actually thought about that. If I had no edging I'd probably have no grass left :) I know monarda can get going, but so far I've been lucky. Hopefully a year from now I won't be posting about wishing I never planted it.

    Robin - I think I've been doing a lot more planting for the birds too. I love trying to attract them to the garden, and now hopefully I'll have some more butterflies too.

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  26. It's going to be beautiful! You have a great eye for what can be done with a patch of grass!

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  27. That's pretty grand and will give you lots of pleasure as you recouperate. I do love my butterfly magnet plants.

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  28. What a sense of achievement after such hard work and what joy to come watching things mature.

    I had to laugh as Mike dug a small bed this weekend we are in danger of having no lawn to sit on. I was struggling removing Bindweed from existing beds and I thought we must be mad I can't keep on top of what we have.

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  29. Your new bed looks beautiful Catherine. The butterflies will love it.

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  30. Not only the butterflies and hummingbirds love it, I love it, too! Lovely! You did a great job. Well done.

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  31. You do terrific work, Catherine. It will be beautiful all filled in. I used to be able to do just what you did...dig out sod, move stones and build walls, all day long...but it was 10 yrs ago when I was at my 'best'. I've gone gradually 'downhill' with my strength and ability to tolerate pain, etc. Oh well...I've got a 'muscle', too--and he does do a LOT! I still work my X#@! off, though.

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