you have to SHARE!!!
🦝🦝🐿🐿🦦🦦🦛

You're a lady after my own heart Anne. We've a large milkweed patch in our backyard and have Monarchs annually. We've an "almost out of control" blackberry patch we share with the critters. Our butterfly bushes all died. Old age maybe. Im going to replant at the end of season as we re-do our backyard habitat garden.

@bigpawbullets around here we have to severly cut them back before winter... they are not a long-lived plant, but so worth it! Mine is on the north-western corner of my house, a damned tough spot, and the scent comes in through the windows!

I was heartbroken when they were taken off the market here in 2008, but there is now hope!

"The mission was to find Buddleia that are seedless, since the Butterfly Bush that we had all fallen in love with reproduces at an incredible rate & bullies its way into waterways, street-sides & pastures.

Several varieties of Seedless Butterfly Bush are the result of this research, with each year bringing more great selections. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has approved all available varieties, with one caveat: We can't call it Butterfly Bush any more. In their view, Butterfly Bush is synonymous with the seedy type (B. davidii). So when you're shopping for the new seedless forms, look for plants with the common names Summer Lilac, Nectar Bush or Seedless Butterfly Bush."

Thats not an award. Simply an acknowledgment that it is "habitat". Sounds like your backyard would easily qualify.

Thanks bob.

The Pye Weed is now blooming. There are as many bees on it as on our sedum.

@bigpawbullets Joe Pye is the best monarch habitat.

Critters:
First... that mailbox garden is roughly 7x7 feet. Not very big. Second.... surrounded on three sides by concrete. Third..... lots of foot traffic, joggers, dog walkers.... and a few cars.
But in that small area we've seen all types of pollinators, gold finches, humming birds, and wrens.
There's a garter snake and some garden toads living there.... plus chipmunks. And numerous butterflies.