You wont believe this....I just went to botonical gardens today and the one thing that I really wanted was a lilac bush..it smelled sooooo goood! AND I have lots of butterfly bushes. Pink and purple. I've never sent one so if it dosn't live I'll send you another. Cuttings work? Or do you want me to root them first? Do we have a trade? Tasha in IL.

I dont have alot,but if you want to trade a few plants:I would love orange and hot pink phlox,hibiscus rose mallow,ruby giant coneflower,varigated iis.I have hundreds of confrey plants,1 nothern lights grass,1purple feista grass,1purple stikes,hundreds columbines(mix),real pretty gallardia(brownish/yellow/redish).

I here you GreenGardener. The problem is that Mother Nature regards the planet as her own and doesn't pay attention to man-made bounderies. Plants are advantageous and they'll use man or animal to migrate. A few years back I became concerned when we had an amazing amount of beginner Winter Sowers who seemed enthralled with sowing as many containers as possible their first year--I'm all for enthusiasm but I was alert that some beginners would also be new gardeners and innocently unaware of the effect their joyful compulsiveness could have on the local environment. WS is wonderful, it's uplifting, it works like a charm...but it shouldn't be used without wisdom. It's important to sow wisely. In response, without a screeching sound of stomping on the brakes, I created a site venue called "Observing the Natural Environment" and made a link table (I had to learn how to do that!) that has many places where someone can go to observe the natural environment. It's been along time since I've worked on that page--it has a few stale links which I apologize for, and will take care of them ASAP. Here is a link that might be useful: Observing the Natural Environment.

I can't remember where I bought mine, it was so long ago. It finally started dying back last year, so I dug up what was left. My husband was very sick, and I couldn't take care of my garden last spring or summer, so my vigorous passionvine, monarda and other plants overtook it. If I had weeded properly, it would probably still be growing. Still, I had it at least ten years. I Googled it and found MANY sources for it, ranging from $4.00 to $24.00. The nurseries that I do business with regularly aren't carrying it, so I can't recommend any of the nurseries. I ordered a butterfly bush called 'Inspired Violet' last year, grew it in the pot until I was sure all the butterflies liked it (they do) then planted it in its own bed. I got this one, even though I don't like the violet pink color as well as Ellen's Blue color, because it doesn't make seed. At my age, I'm trying to make gardening as easy as possible. Ellen's Blue does make seeds, you have to dead head a lot, but that's its only draw back. It's a wonderful size, and those LONG, nearly true blue blooms are to die for. Just Google Ellen's Blue butterfly bush, and take your pick, although I'd prefer to order it from a nursery as close to my home as possible, so it won't have to be in the truck too long. Sherry