My "attempt" to start a butterfly nectaring garden

and oh, my eyes were much bigger than the 8X8X8' space I was given!!! Who knew Lantana and Agatascha grew to be so huge?? Not to mention the Salvia Greggii you can barely see in the picture. Anyway, here it is. It seems to be very popular with hummingbird moths and smaller butterflies. There is one hummer that visits occasionally, but I think a neighbor has treats the hummer prefers to my stuff (I even have a feeder above everything). :) Oh, and please don't pay attention to the fact that I really need to mow!!

Anyway, here's the first, not too good shot, because for the life of me, I cannot get a good shot of this garden!!

Here's a closer view that gives you a good idea of what's going on....

and one of the many (I know I've counted about 5 so far) hummingbird moths that seem to live in this garden....

What a beautiful garden. If I was a butterfly, that's where I would hang out.

Carla

I love it! Butterfly gardens are supposed to be chock full. I'm still filling mine in.

Terrie

Thanks Loonie & Terrie!
I think next year, in the spots where nothing comes back, I'll work on clumping the colors together. Maybe that will work a bit better. :)

Exactly how I want my garden to be when it grows up. And I can only hope that my salvias and Agastacha will grow to be huge. I have about 8 plants of them total and would love for them to get huge. I planted everything new this year so I just have a plant here, a plant there, I need them to all get huge and fill up just like yours. And you Lantana is just gorgeous. I have those two colors also but mine are not nearly as vivid as yours. And have yet to see a hummer moth. It is so cute. Great work and great pics.

Leslie

Felicia - Well .... I'm sorry to disagree with you but ......... I think your butterfly garden is gorgeous! This is what a "wild" garden would look like and probably why you have sooooooo many visitors! Congrats on a beautiful bed!

Thanks so much, Becky and Leslie!!

Leslie, I just planted these in May. Ok, I've cheated by feeding everything when I feed my brugs, so maybe that's why everything has gone crazy!! And, I love Lantana -- I just wish it were hardy here.

I do enjoy looking at all the blended flowers (especially the Cherry Salvia next to the purple (can't remember the cultivar right now) Butterfly Bush). I'm sure my neighbor with the pristine yard hates it. LOL!!

It just dismays me that the Viceroys and Tiger Swallowtails fly right over it, without a second glance. And, to think, last year the Tiger Swallowtails were all over the Butterfly Bushes.

I'm sure that lovely garden will pack those butterflies in, I think the butterflies just aren't all here yet I'm not seeing that many either all of that lantana and your bush alone will tempt them I'm sure ;-) Nice garden!

I did a nectar and a host garden this year too and just now starting to see a few more butterflies and hummers.

It looks like you have two agastache togeter, pink and a peachy or orangish color. I just noticed them and they look so beautiful together. I have ordered several agastaches and can only dream they will some day look like those.

Leslie

Very nice garden, just the way the butterflies and moths like it. It looks like a loaded buffett table to them. LOL!

Thanks Lea! Haven't heard from you in a while, hope everything is going great for you.

Leslie, actually, I just have one kind of Agastache in there. It's Acapulco Salmon & Pink. And, it smells out of this world!! Here's a closer picture of the Agastache (I was playing with the macro on my new camera in this picture) ...

Great place indeed! Whoda thunk a small space could yield so many wonderful nectar plants for hummies, butterflies and moths.

I've got a 6x6x6 flower bed at the end of each side of my driveway that are filled with orange canna. I've attempted to dig them out a few times but seems I always leave rhizomes behind and next thing I know it's chocked-full again.

Anybody in the south tip of Texas want hundreds of orange canna? COME DIG 'EM OUT FOR FREE :o)

Sigh...do so much want to plant salvias, lantana or blue mist bushes there...just never get around to it.

Really do love what you've done with your little butterfly garden. It's truly colorful and I bet a delight to watch over.

~ Cat

Cat, I am sure there is a freecycle group in your area. I have decided to get rid of something on the spur of the moment and put it out on freecycle and get loads of email responses in no time. There is someone out there that would love to come dig 'em!