Beautiful Butterfly Bush!

There are lots of Buddleia, or Butterfly Bush, here at Warner's. They are butterfly magnets and wonderfully fragrant. So many colors and sizes to choose from! Buddleia are easy-care, fast-growing semi-shrubs which thrive in full sun locations.

Seen here in the photo is pretty much a constant at the nursery: adult swallowtails feeding on the often 6" long flower panicles of Butterfly Bush. Some of our strong and sturdy butterfly bush can have close to 30 blooms at one time!!

Buddleia are a must have for a sunny location in your yard...especially if you have nature-loving children interested in butterfly and bird-watching. It is so fun to learn about the different butterfly species in Connecticut and to see how they feed. Planting dill, fennel or parsley nearby is helpful in providing an important food source for butterfly larvae, which like to feed on such plants. Be careful before picking 'caterpillars' off of your herbs, sometimes they are butterfly larvae!!

A great resource for butterfly information is the Connecticut Butterfly Association. Check out there website at http://www.ctbutterfly.org/, where you can download a Connecticut butterfly checklist. This non-profit organization promotes the awareness and appreciation of butterflies and moths. They also encourage the presence of butterfly and moth habitat. For only $15 you can become a member!!

Collectibles, Vintage Items and Antiques

This year we have an expanded section of our store dedicated to collectibles, vintage furniture and antiques. We are always bringing in fresh items and unique treasures. There are some really great finds and most items are extremely affordable. Unusual vases, lamps and art to choose from...all of which make great gifts! Come see us next time you have an occasion and don't want to go empty-handed.

Lovely Lupines

Here is a photo of a Nursery customer's garden, featuring his lovely lupine.

Lupines belong to the pea family and are mainly native to North America, southern Europe and North Africa. They generally bloom from April - July and prefer open dry sites, sometimes woodlands. Lupines are beloved for their long, erect spikes of showy pea flowers. Lupines have the added benefit of being nitrogen-fixing plants.

I have some gorgeous memories of the wild lupine growing in Maine and Eastern Canada. What a lovely sight!!

Many thanks to Brian of Barkhamsted for sharing this photo of his gardens. Brian's Lupine is a Russell hybrid, which is a hybrid introduced by George Russell back in the 1930's.

Beetlemania!

We had an exciting find at the nursery yesterday, we found an adult "Eyed Click Beetle" or Alaus oculatus. It was about 2" long and liked to fly. This particular beetle has false eyes on its back, meant to frighten away predators. We thought at first that this beetle may have been the Emerald Ash Borer, an insect that is on the top of the 'Most Wanted' list in New England. But, thankfully, it was not.

The Click Beetle has the ability to flip itself over from their back to their front, sometimes going several inches into the air. It is quite an athletic beetle! The beetle arches its body, then snaps a pointed projection on the bottom of its prothorax into a small groove on the mesothorax. This movement causes a clicking sound...giving the beetle its name!!