One big, late summer rainfall will make a big difference to the landscape, and summer heat stress will bring healthy new growth after many plants are alive. We hope that more spring rains will come in all gardens and landscapes to make the season more beautiful and productive. Falling to attract butterflies is a great time of year; Fall is generally a good time to plant, and in October the kings will cross over and need nectar to feed.
Favorite floral arrangements for adult butterflies include butterfly bushes, butterfly weeds, blue mist flowers, Lantana, Salvia, Falling Esther and flame acanthus. Almond verbena is a wonderful choice not only for butterflies but also for bees and hummingbirds. If you want to try something new in the landscape, give it a try – it has incredibly fragrant and very strong, sweet fragrant white flowers. Plant it in the sun and allow it to grow in many places – it is an annual plant that grows many feet and grows very tall. It can fall during mild winters, but it will generally be better if it is cut down and raised above ground each spring.
To create a home for butterflies, be very careful with pesticides. Butterflies are particularly vulnerable to pesticides. For adults, nectar is the main focus of the spring migration, but for other butterflies and the caterpillar, the caterpillars need food. So include plants that use caterpillars, such as milk, parsley, stick, and fungi, to create the ideal butterfly environment.
Butterflies also need a source of water, and wet areas work well. If there is a wet spot in the drain, such as an air conditioner. If not, a bowl of sand can help keep it moist. Also, use a drip irrigator instead of spraying as much as possible to wash the nectar of the flower.
Join us for the fall landscape symposium hosted by the main gardeners of the Congo Valley on Saturday, September 11: from 8:30 to 3:15 p.m. And the deadline for registration is Wednesday, September 8th. For more details and to register, visit https://txmg.org/conchovalley or call the Extension Office at 325-659-6522.
Allison Watkins is a member of the Texas A&M Agrillif Extension for Fruit and Vegetables in Tom Green County. Contact her at aewatkins@ag.tamu.edu.