Successes and failures

[Susie]

As far as providing nectar in the garden, I would have to say that the Lantanas have proved to be a failure.

However, something which is a resounding success is Verbena rigida. It seems to be as tasty to butterflies and moths as its taller cousin and the bright flowers have bloomed for the whole time I have had it (months, so far) and look to go on for much longer. It is certainly an attractive plant for any sunny border. I understand that it is also reasonably frost hardy so I hope to see it again next year.

Something else I grew this year for butterflies was globe artichoke. The bees loved it but the butterflies didn't go near. Considering the space it takes up I wouldn't recommend it unless you want a really impressive architectual plant for the garden.

What are your successes and failures?

[Zonda]

One of my surprising failures was buddleia last year, but trying again this year. A headache i have had now for 2 or 3 years is trying to source the native yellow water lily, with its tiny leaves that are only around 2 inches across. I have seen it on a few wildlife ponds in my area, but can i find one for sale,,,no. I hate large domineering water lilies.

[Piers]

Zonda

Do you mean the little 'Fringed water-lily' Nymphoides peltata native to central and eastern England?

There a plenty on Google, and even Ebay (100 plants for £12...!!!).

It is pretty vigorous to say the least and there are even Invasive Species Action Plans in place in certain areas where the plant has gone utterly bonkers following accidental introductions. A particular problem in Ireland apparently...

Good luck.

Felix.

[KeynvorLogosenn]

Hi,
My buddleia failed this year, though it was moved and never really took off in it's new location.It was a supprise, as I was certain I did it properly!
Can anyone recommend where I can get a dark purple one from? I've only seen the light purple and white ones at garden centers lately...
Em

[Susie]

It is easy to buy online. Just google Buddleia Black Knight.

[Zonda]

Do you mean the little 'Fringed water-lily' Nymphoides peltata native to central and eastern England?

No Felix, it's the small, yellow native one that i'm after, with small leaves. There are to my knowledge only three indigenous water lilies. A big white one, and a small yellow one, and the fringed one that you speak of. I want Nuphar lutea, sometimes known as 'Brandy bottle'.

[Piers]

Sorry Zonda - it was the leaf size bit that confused me; Nuphar lutea has reasonably sized leaves, up to six inches across, much bigger than the Fringed Water Lilly Nymphoides peltata

Anyway, Crocus will have some in stock soon. See http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/pond-p ... ssid.1488/

Or there's some on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/mature-healthy-Br ... 35a30718e9

It's quite a brute, is your pond big (deep) enough?

Felix.

[Zonda]

Thanks Felix, just ordered one from Crocus. I didn't think the leaves were that big tho i must admit. I've seen some small leaved lilies on a pond belonging to the Dorset Wildlife Trust at Forston, and i just assumed they had gone for the native species. Maybe they didn't,,,,ahh well what's done is done. Thanks for the help.
My pond is 15ft X 10ft.

Pond work 2009 (e) (att).jpg (156.6 KiB) Viewed 668 times

All the perches are my pathetic endeavor to photograph some garden birds.

[Lee Hurrell]

I think that looks like it will be a nice pond Zonda.

Good luck with your garden birds! I have a little table and it attracts quite a variety considering I'm on the outskirts of London. More than my garden butterfly tally anyway

Cheers

Lee

[Zonda]

Thanks Lee, let's hope that this liner lasts longer than the previous one. Ponds are very rewarding.

[Dave McCormick]

I have two buddliea and both had success. One was a smaller dark purple one that had a strong smell from it. It attracted mostly whites and night flying moths and the other buddliea on other side of the garden was a big lighter purple and had mostly nymphalids...Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Red Admiral also the occational white appeared and once a speckled wood and a few smoky wainscot appeared on it along with one Hummingbird Hawkmoth which I was pleased at. But this one was closer to the road where the moths/butterflies were coming from and the other buddliea was nearer forest and near the cabbage/brussels sprouts plants the whites were laying on, so that explains the amount of whites on them.

I also had some lavander inbetween the buddlieas which were quite a bit apart, and they attracted whites and painted ladies too. Trapping moths in garden gave me about 30 new species for me which was quite good. My dog runs around half the garden thats penned off, away from the flowering plants, so can't really do much with the garden, but bit I did have, quite sucessful. I didn't really have any failures. I had hundreds of large whites in garden, munching up brussels sprouts. I took many into rear and all managed to make adults (50) and I still have 20 large white pupae in hibernation which are alive and well. In corner of garden I had two big foxglove and a big bloody cranesbill plant, which attracted buff ermine as I found lots of their caterpillars feeding there.

If anything, the only failure I had was all the cabbages, brussels sprouts and kale were got by large/small whites. No real success in vegetable patch thats for sure.

See attached photos for what I saw this year in garden.

Thanks Lee, let's hope that this liner lasts longer than the previous one. Ponds are very rewarding.

Yeah I'd agree on ponds. The ones not far from my house have lots of surprises. One night I walked to the pond and saw an eel slithering down into it. (There is no fish in ponds or lake here) Also saw loads of blue damselflies which are always a welcomed sight as well as the newts. I also found hundreds of caddisflies from lake to, and I remember in August or september I found loads of dragonflies about there too.

Small Tortoiseshells

White

Red Admiral - Auguts 09

Lots of Large White Caterpillars destroying brussels sprouts

[Lee Hurrell]

Nice one Dave.

I had 3 buddliea this year which grow to about 7 feet which were 4" cuttings from Somerset. I was rewarded with a few whites, Red Admirals and Painted Ladies. I'm hoping to trim them down nice and early next year to prompt some more flowers. I've never seen Speckled Wood feed on buddliea though.

I have a couple of white plugs in pots too for next year!

Cheers

Lee