Butterflies in bloom in late-summer garden

STEVE KAWARATANI

o7Charm is a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don’t

need to have anything else.f7

-- J. M. BARRIE

o7Butterflies ... not quite birds, as they were not quite

flowers, mysterious and fascinating as are all indeterminate

creatures.f7

-- ELIZABETH GOUDGE

Proper plant selection, more than any other garden feature, lends

the look of charm to cottage gardens. It is true that authenticity

can often be enhanced by arbors, stone walkways and birdbaths. But if

the plants and their blooms have the requisite look of charm, then

the garden is not likely to need much else.

One of the wonderful benefits of the cottage garden arises from

its rangy forms of biennials and perennials. The less-than-manicured

look of colorful and scented plants provides a welcoming habitat for

the ever-fascinating butterfly. Mysterious and particular,

butterflies will literally engulf plants that can supply just the

right drink of nectar.

One of the butterfly’s favorite flowers from spring to fall is

o7Buddleia davidiif7, aptly named the butterfly bush. This most

popular Buddleia was named after Pere David, who co-discovered the

species while exploring in China during the late 19th century.

This time of year, well-groomed Buddleia plants appear as large

fountains of arching branches, which are filled with spike-like

fragrant flowers. Some gardeners have claimed that the attraction to

butterflies is so great, that their plants appear to be flowering

with butterflies!

British botanist and cleric Adam Buddle wrote a “Herbarium of

British Plants” during the early 18th century. An expert on mosses,

the good Rev. Buddle had never seen an unnamed plant from Peru. This

didn’t prevent his colleague, Linnaeus, from naming “buddleia” after

him as a reward for his scholarly work. Not widely grown, o7Buddleia

globosaf7 can still be found in older English gardens.

Buddleias are some of the most attractive of late-flowering plants

for Laguna, although certain cultivars also bloom in the spring. Fast

growers, the plants may grow up to 10 feet in a single season. In

midsummer, flowers appear in dense, slender clusters, six to 12

inches or longer.

Many varieties and cultivars can be found at your favorite

nursery, differences mainly visible by flower color: “black knight”

is a true purple; “harlequin” has variegated foliage and light purple

flowers; while “pink perfection” is, not surprisingly, pink. White,

lilac and blue round out the colors generally available during a

season.

All Buddleias enjoy long-lasting blooming periods in at least six

hours of sunlight. Although tolerant of most soil types, they do

require good drainage and enough water in summer to maintain growth

but little else. Like most plants, these shrubs benefit from mulching

throughout the year.

To keep your Buddleia attractive, cut it back after fall blooming

to about three feet. This type of pruning stimulates new growth and

flowering. The new shoots that follow will re-create the attractive

fountain-form display the following summer.

During the past week of warmer weather, it has been difficult to

choose between working in our sunny garden, a setting of arguably

delightful charm, or sitting in our shaded, cool deck with Catharine,

my wife of many charms. The garden needs constant tending, but so

does Catharine. And the more I think about it, it isn’t healthy to be

working in the heat and humidity. What a charming world we live in.

See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is happily married to local writer Catharine

Cooper and has two cats. He can be reached at (949) 497-2438, or

e-mail him at [email protected].