Sunshine makes you feel better, that is unless of course, you've suffered a stroke and then you feel sorry that you cant just get your bits and bobs and go out somewhere! However I try to stay positive and have 'signed' up to starting some specific exercises which I hope will help my progress. Anyway, the sun shone brilliantly and I took my breakfast outside to savour it after the heavy rainfall that we had to endure most of yesterday. Funny how the weather should affect your moods! A couple of years ago I planted a purple buddleia in the hope of enticing some butterflies. Maybe butterflies do not like purple as the results were pretty disastrous and virtually no butterflies ever landed. I did as the book said and trimmed the stalks so they would flower at different heights but all to no avail. Then my neighbour planted a small 'white' buddleia which quickly grew until it peered over my fence. The spikes of white flowers have continued to grow an develop and today I was stunned to count 10 butterflies on the plant from my side. I have counted 5 different varieties in all, large white, red admiral, peacock, tortoiseshell and comma. Apart from butterflies, bees and other insects enjoy the plant.
Obviously I rushed out last year and bought myself a white species which is doing well. It has the flowers all in place but they are not out yet. My neighbour's buddleia still has some flowers on but they are turning now and I can't wait until all the butterflies are busy taking nectar from my plant.
Buddleia showing Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral, Large White and some very interested bees!
2 comments:
How lovely to see your flutterbys. I didn't know that some don't like purple, we've got some of the traditional mauve Buddleja and I've been pleasantly surprised the last three days (actually had some sunshine!) to see a lot of butterflies around. When we get around to regenerating that side of the garden I'll remember your comments about the white flowers.
I am sure abot the purple but would guess that there is more than
one species this colour. A neighbour a couple of doors down has a small purple one and that doesn't see many butterflies either. Every day the white one is covered!
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