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Thread: Where are the butterflies?

  1. #11
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CathyA View Post
    I think I've had the best luck with Joe Pye Weed. I have a bunch of coneflowers too, which they like, and it also serves as food for gold finches.
    What would we do without birds and butterflies?
    I want to try Joe Pye Weed. Any tricks or tips? It seems to be native to VT, so I've been thinking of incorporating that into my long term plan.

    I actually haven't seen a lot of pollinators up here so far!! Not sure what's normal, so we'll see what happens.
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  2. #12
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    I love your garden, Razz. We used to have an abundance of Rudbeckia and Echinacea, but the groundhogs ate every last bit. I always wanted to try Butterfly Weed. I wonder if that is preferred groundhog food?

  3. #13
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Thanks for the feedback. Isn't Joe Pye weed really tall?
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  4. #14
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Yay, one Monarch today! I went to hang out my laundry and found it stuck between the screen and glass of my patio door. i huffed and puffed until I blew it out of that trap. I forgot to get a picture though.

  5. #15
    Senior Member lhamo's Avatar
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    I planted a package of Ed Hume Pollinator mix and it has been very effective in attracting both bees and butterflies to our yard. Lacy Phacelia (aka purple tansy or honey plant) ended up being the dominant plant -- it isn't that pretty but the bees are NUTS for it. I regularly count 10-20 easily when I stand nearby.
    "Seek out habits that help you overcome fear or inertia. Destroy those that do the opposite." Seth Godin

  6. #16
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Interesting, Lhasa. Like so many native plants as milk weed, it spreads vigorously by rhizomes so the site I just checked for more info on the plant suggest planting in pots to control the spread. They like poor soil as well. Have to think about this.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  7. #17
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Well, it is a month later and the butterflies have been here in full force, all kinds of them and wonderfully healthy looking as well. They are so beautiful. Their favourite flower appears to be the orange-red Lantana and pink phlox which is odourless and the white phlox nearing the end of its blooming time but the fragrance of the white phlox is amazing.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

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