Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Pest-free, Rabbit/Deer resistant Perennials, 1 by adbjwb

adbjwb wrote:
I planted a butterfly/hummingbird/bee garden several years ago and have enjoyed it so much! The Yarrows, Buddleias, Salvias, Sweetbay Magnolias, Daylilies, Goldsturm Rudbeckia, Shasta Daisy 'Becky'and Sedum have done well. However, the Asclepias Butterfly Weed is covered in yellow aphids and the mess they leave. Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' has been decimated by Flea Beetles. The Agastache 'Tutti-Frutti' has about fizzled to nothing. Coreopsis 'Jethro Tull' totally died.

Can you all share what plants have been pest-free and hardy for you? Also, I'm aiming for a garden that will not require much supplemental water. here ins central Mississippi, our summers in recent years have been very hot (90's - 100), nights quite warm (80's), high humidity, and not nearly enough rain (actually, weeks or drought, a good rain, and then more weeks of drought).

Thanks for good advice about perennials bloomers and flowers that grow quickly from seed! (The picture below is from October 2010 -- The garden does not look too well this year.)

This message was edited Sep 3, 2011 8:58 PM