Planting A Butterfly Garden & Growing A Potato As A Houseplant
Question:
I would like to attract more butterflies to our garden. What plants can I plant to encourage them into taking up residence in our neck of the woods?
Answer:
Attracting butterflies to your garden can be a rewarding venture. A Butterfly Garden is a mixture of perennials and annuals plants along with some ornamentals. They can be rewarding as it can also attract hummingbirds and bees. But for all their benefits, it may not be ideal for everyone. The plants that attract butterflies are divided into two types, the host and nectar food plants. Host plants are used by the adult butterfly to lays its eggs on while the nectar plants attract the mature adult butterflies. The eggs hatch into caterpillars (ugh) that feeds on the host plant so be prepared for lots of leaves that have been chewed on. Baby caterpillars eat quite a lot and will make your plants look as if they are being destroyed, but don’t worry about that, this is necessary for their survival. The young caterpillars feed on the host plants until they form their cocoons and emerge later as an adult. If you don’t want to look at the eaten plants, simply plant them in the center or the back of your butterfly garden or in areas that are not highly visible. But, don’t plant your host plants too far away from the nectar plants. It’s best to plant them right next to each other or in close proximity, as the tiny caterpillars cannot travel far to find their own food. Most species of caterpillars are particular about the type of plants they eat. If the eggs are not laid on the correct plant(s), the new caterpillars will not survive. Hence it’s not advisable to plant a Butterfly Garden over a large area. If you choose not to provide any host plants, you will have fewer butterflies. Ceanothus, Penstemon and Aster are a few of the host plants while nectar plants include Toyon, Lantana, Marigolds Verbena, and Milkweed. For a more complete list check your favorite garden centers for a handout. And finally, here is an online resource.
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/what-is-a-butterfly-garden/host-plants.html
Question:
In a glass of water, I started a store bought Russet Potato. It now has roots and some small leaves; can it be planted in soil and kept as a houseplant?
Answer:
Potatoes are fun to grow as an edible but I wouldn’t use them as a foliage plant. Indoors, they require a brighty lit location. They’re not a perennial plant and their life span is about four to six months. The end is near when they begin to flower. You could start another plant in three months to replace the current plant. Planting it in soil will extend its life. When you discard the old plant don’t be surprise to find potatoes in the soil. Potatoes like beets, radishes, carrots and others edibles are formed under the ground.
