Butterfly Buddies

My winter sowing had its successes and its failures. After researching the lifecycle of perennials a bit more, I did not expect even my successes to bloom the first year. I know I won’t see my first columbine bloom until next spring, assuming my fragile seedlings make it through the winter. My hardy hibiscus are a vigorous twelve inches tall, but did not flower. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of my butterfly weeds did bloom. The plant is floppy and the flower head is small, but it brought me a great deal of satisfaction to see a perennial bloom from seed the first year. I was also tickled by the contrast of the orange butterfly weed next to the purple butterfly bush. It looks as if I have a colorful butterfly garden in the making. I will be sowing butterfly weed again this winter to increase my supply of bright orange flowers.