The butterfly bush (buddleia davidii "Black Night") put out its first bloom on the 19th. Butterfly bushes bloom on new growth, so I cut mine back almost to the ground in late winter, and they still get huge. We've recently acquired two more: a "Nanho blue," which is a lighter purple, and a yellow-flowered variety called "Honeycomb," which is supposed to grow 10 feet tall.
We also have another buddleia, a really tall one that I dug up from a friend's yard (yes, I did have permission). It hasn't bloomed yet, so I'll be interested to see what color it is. I don't like where I planted it, so this fall it is getting moved again. (Most of my plants travel long distances without ever leaving my yard.)
One of my aims for this summer is to learn the names of all the butterflies I see in my garden, photograph them, and put them on the blog. My ignorance on the subject of butterflies is embarrassing, so I need to learn more. Look for more butterflies this summer, and feel free to leave comments with cool facts.
