Garden

[Kachina624]

He's on now selling his tri-colored butterfly bush. He's hyping it as a border with day lilies or planted around a fountain. I have one that's several years old (it didn't look anything like what he says they're shipping. It was about 3 tiny twigs). I cut mine back to about 2ft each spring and by August it's 7-8 ft high. Now does that sound like a border plant? You'd need a machete to get to that fountain to add water.

[sparklestar]

There are different varieties of plants you know. I am sure he knows what he's talking about. He is a plant and flower expert.

[Susan Louise]

On 2/15/2014 kachina624 said: He's on now selling his tri-colored butterfly bush. He's hyping it as a border with day lilies or planted around a fountain. I have one that's several years old (it didn't look anything like what he says they're shipping. It was about 3 tiny twigs). I cut mine back to about 2ft each spring and by August it's 7-8 ft high. Now does that sound like a border plant? You'd need a machete to get to that fountain to add water.

I agree with you! Ours gets to 7+ ft too...LOL

I got our tri color butterfly bush at a local nursery for just $6.95 about 5 yrs ago

Some expert...I everytime he uses the selling point of attracting Hummingbirds to certain plants he sells that don't even produce nectar!

[JustJazzmom]

I agree with the OP most butterfly bushes attract butterflies and are at least 7' tall when they grow over the summer. They bloom on the current season's wood so its best in your area of the USA to cut them to about 12-18"" in March as they are coming out of dormancy to keep them from becoming behemoths.

[Mary Bailey]

Hummingbirds go to my butterfly bush all the time. I hope the snow is gone in March so I can cut it back. Right now it's in about 2.5' of snow.

[JustJazzmom]

Just a reminder for those who want to attract butterflies to their gardens, you also have to add some host plants for their larvae to eat or for the butterflies to lay eggs upon. Google host plants for butterflies and purchase accordingly.

[Buck-i-Nana]

I have bought a few of the butterfly bushes from Cottage Farms over the years. The first I bought do get large every year and are absolutely gorgeous. Two years ago, I bought some of his flutterby butterfly bushes and they have stayed small and full. I'm guessing the 3 color that he is selling this year is of the same growing nature as the flutterby.

[Annabellethecat66]

Those same butterfly bushes are probably the same one's I bought from the Q. I can tell you that they are planted around a tree in my front yard. The cover up the trunk of the tree going straight up! I wouldn't think of planting anything or putting anything other than something I didn't need to get to.

I'm not a gardener. I dig a hole, look upward toward the sky and say, "LORD, let it grow". If it does, fine, if not, well, I won't remember where it was planted anyway. That said, even I know those Butterfly bushes get very thick and I don't care to try to get to anything behind them! OP, for what it's worth, you have my vote.

[JustJazzmom]

Butterfly bushes are great plants for that sunny corner of your yard where you want to add some color and not have to baby the plant all summer long. These plants are tough once they get established and with mulch below them do not need tons of water once they are established. I like to call these kinds of plants--'prairie plants' because those kinds of plants survive in the hottest and driest conditions.

[Annabellethecat66]

Yes JustJazmom. The ones I have around the tree get full hot, hot summer sun! I'm not very good about watering anything. I've never had one die due to neglect!