General Discussion

pipi_k

(21,020 posts)

45. One of the best plants

Wed Feb 18, 2015, 12:04 PM

Feb 2015

I ever had was a Butterfly Bush I started from seed.

The seeds are almost microscopic, so I was surprised when I actually was able to grow one. It lasted for a number of years before the cold ended up killing it off.

It grew to be about 8 or 10 feet high.

Every year I would go out to trim off the dead blooms. I was surrounded by bumblebees who basically ignored me as I worked. Quite awesome...golden sunny August days, a quiet yard, and the bzzzzzz of plump and fuzzy little bumblebees.

Oh, and Bee Balm is fun too. Again, grown from seed, and it's been coming up in my garden for at least 15 years. The bees fall asleep on the flowers.

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45 replies

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Homeowners planting flowers in their yards thinking they're saving bees [View all] elleng Feb 2015 OP

I like growing from bulbs and rhizomes - do they count? hollysmom Feb 2015 #1

I don't know, elleng Feb 2015 #3

Yikes! Glad you posted this... JimDandy Feb 2015 #2

Have you checked out the Old Farmer's Amanac dgibby Feb 2015 #12

thanks for that tip! nt. druidity33 Feb 2015 #42

Best advice: order from organic seed/gardening sites. dgibby Feb 2015 #14

What about local greenhouses and sales catalogs like Gueneys? jwirr Feb 2015 #4

You can always ask them Curmudgeoness Feb 2015 #32

Good idea. Thank you. jwirr Feb 2015 #44

Or they could just let the dandelions be free. n/t gollygee Feb 2015 #5

That's what we did. katsy Feb 2015 #7

And white clover sarge43 Feb 2015 #13

we have clover that they seem to love... Phentex Feb 2015 #27

I don't know why dandelions are considered weeds Art_from_Ark Feb 2015 #41

Always ask and read the labels on the pots. Wellstone ruled Feb 2015 #6

I try to get most of my bulbs, seeds, starts from my neighbors who are old OregonBlue Feb 2015 #8

We have bees all around our house RockaFowler Feb 2015 #9

We have manzanita bushes in our yard. MAN do the bees love those! calimary Feb 2015 #20

just start from seeds! easy...fun...satisfying. NRaleighLiberal Feb 2015 #10

This Treant Feb 2015 #15

Yeah, my dad bought his last rose from home depot MynameisBlarney Feb 2015 #11

That's awful! elleng Feb 2015 #16

Seriously? SoapBox Feb 2015 #17

Sourwood trees are great for many things seveneyes Feb 2015 #18

we get plants & seeds from a WI company. jungs. pansypoo53219 Feb 2015 #19

I suspect Home Depot and Lowe's don't really give a damn. AtomicKitten Feb 2015 #21

Sounds like a job for... VScott Feb 2015 #22

Thank you for posting! stage left Feb 2015 #23

I think that it is more than just spraying the plants. Curmudgeoness Feb 2015 #26

+ 1 stage left Feb 2015 #30

Try for natives catchnrelease Feb 2015 #24

I bought milkweed plants trying to help the Monarchs, phylny Feb 2015 #36

Yes catchnrelease Feb 2015 #39

Wow, who da thunk? Big K&R and shared on facebook too. mountain grammy Feb 2015 #25

This is an issue we have been trying very hard to inform people about The Velveteen Ocelot Feb 2015 #28

has anyone contacted the home shopping networks hopemountain Feb 2015 #29

I have been very disappointed with all the plants I bought Pathwalker Feb 2015 #35

thank you, pathwalker hopemountain Feb 2015 #40

Great thread BrotherIvan Feb 2015 #31

I start mine from seeds. The hummingbirds, bees and butterflies seem to love them. Autumn Feb 2015 #33

Most of my flowers are perennials now Blue_In_AK Feb 2015 #34

We have two huge honeysuckle trees that I have phylny Feb 2015 #37

This year I will buy all my plants at the local native plant nursery csziggy Feb 2015 #38

Grow the easystuff from seeds Tsiyu Feb 2015 #43

One of the best plants pipi_k Feb 2015 #45