Western Mountains and High Plains
June, 2012
Regional Report
Web Finds
The Butterfly Site
The Butterfly Site is an excellent source of information about butterflies. You'll find ideas for designing and laying out a butterfly garden that are specific to your area, as well as lists of nectar plants and host plants for larvae. There is also information on butterflies by state so you can find out whicg species are most common in your area. For fun, butterfly rearing kits are available.
Favorite or New Plant
Sweet Mock Orange
One of my favorite blooming shrubs with unmistakable fragrance is sweet mockorange (Philadelphus coronarius). The pure white blooms of mockorange are not only fragrant, they last for several weeks. You can invite the fragrance into your home in the evening and early morning hours by siting one near a bedroom window.
Once established, mockorange is a dependable shrub that will provide years of fragrant blossoms. If the shrub becomes overcrowded, prune out the oldest stems to rejuvenate it and induce new growth from the base. This will insure a continuous supply of flowering wood for future blooms.
