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Butterfly Gardening

Propagating Butterfly Bush from root cuttings

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Propagating Butterfly Bush from root cuttings.

The first step for how to root cuttings from the butterfly bush is to select a stem for cutting. In early Fall, choose a stem for butterfly bush propagation that is at least 6 inches long, and is new growth cut the flower off. A new growth stem will be a lighter green than old growth. Also be aware that if you live in a colder climate where the butterfly bush dies back to the ground, the whole shrub may be new growth.

Once you have selected a stem to propagate the butterfly bush, take a sharp pair of shears and cut the stem off just below a leaf node. A leaf node is where a set of leaves will be growing. The butterfly bush cutting should be at least 4 inches long and should contain at least one additional set of leaves above the selected leaf node. Snip the cutting from the stem.

Next, strip all but the top most set of leaves from the cutting. The cutting should have only two leaves left, dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone. Rooting hormone will increase the chances of successfully propagating butterfly bush, place the cutting into damp potting soil. Place the pot in a sheltered location out of direct sunlight. Check the butterfly bush cutting every few days to make sure the soil is still damp. In about 2-4 weeks, the cutting will be rooted and your butterfly bush propagation will be complete. That is all you need to know about how to propagate butterfly bushes. With a little effort and care, you can start propagating butterfly bushes for your yard or for friends and family.

Buddleia davidii, Butterfly Bush

The Buddleia plant is a genus of flowering plants and there are up to one hundred species on record. Most of these are shrubs with only a few being trees. Because the tree varieties can grow to over 30 feet, it is the shrub varieties that are more suitable for the average sized garden. Butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) have a prime place in butterfly gardens, and are particularly adept at attracting tiger swallowtails. But they also attract hummingbirds, making them must-haves for hummingbird gardens, too. And don’t forget the bees: butterfly bushes will also attract the bees that will pollinate other plants in your garden.

Buddleia davidii produces woody stems, it behaves like a perennial and dies back close to the ground. And just like a perennial, it makes no difference to the plant. Simply cut back the dead stems in early spring, stand back and watch the plant explode with growth. Buddleia blooms on new wood, so its floral display is not diminished by its dieback behavior. In fact cutting Buddleia back benefits the blooming and overall plant habit. Even in the south where its wood remains alive, an annual spring whacking makes for a nicer plant, blooms from midsummer until frost.

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Landscaping

Top Herb Garden Designs: Learn From Proven Winners

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While many people choose to grow their herbs inside or in a window box, if you have the space available a larger herb garden may be a good option for you. Since herbs are both beautiful and useful, they are a great addition to any garden.

Herb garden designs depend on a variety of factors. Things like available space, desired style, desired herbs and other factors will dictate what you can do with your herb garden designs. Perhaps the most important factor in herb garden designs is aesthetics. The style of your garden should complement the style of your home as well as reflect your personal style.

In the past English style herb garden designs have been quite popular, and are still the preference of those who like neat rows and symmetry. There is something nostalgic and appealing about neat hedge rows that frame lovely flowering herbs such as lavender, or small shrub plants like rosemary. They usually feature some type of center focal point in the middle, whether it is a statue, or garden furniture or a fountain.

Perhaps one of the best herb garden designs for a small space is a design that uses tiered planters. The reason this works well for smaller areas is that the footprint of the area used is small but as the tiers in the raised planter boxes move up, you gain more planting area.

Another of the most popular herb garden designs is the more modern design of the square garden. It is laid out in a similar fashion to the English style garden but is more open. Where the English garden is usually bordered by short neatly manicured hedges, the square garden is not. English herb garden designs usually feature paths that are covered in small pea gravel, but square herb garden designs feature paths that are covered in pavers of some type.

When you are planning your herb garden one of the critical factors is the variety of plants and where you will put them. Some of your herb plants will grow tall if you allow them to, while some will become very shrub like, being full and low to the ground. Some will require more sunlight than others and some will require more water than others. So when you are choosing the variety of herbs that you want to grow it is important to plan accordingly. Just choosing the herbs that you would like most to have in your kitchen and then planting them can result in problems.

Herbs can also be planted in your existing flower garden if you have one, and they often make beautiful additions.  But you will want to be careful as the plant food and pesticides (if you choose to use them) that you would use for flowers are much different than those used on edible plants. The products used for flowers are highly toxic if ingested, so erring on the side of caution is always best.

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