The tea is used for bronchitis, flatulence, stomach cramps, nausea and palpitations, and as a gentle sedative. As for 'herbalism', it depends whether you want to become a qualified practitioner or whether you just want to know a little for your own personal use of herbs as medicines. I can't recommend a site for the first requirement, but there are many colleges around for you to look at. Also some correspondence schools (if they don't have a 'residential' component, forget it, because you need some hands-on instruction too). Try searching for 'herbalism courses' or similar. As for the personal use, there are many, many sites out there you could learn much from. Start with the name of just one herb, search for 'medicinal uses X' and go from there. Or simply search for 'herb(al) remedies', or try by ailment 'herb remedies eczema'. And be prepared to sort the wheat from the chaff! http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/database/commonA.html Here is a link that might be useful: some medicinal herbs

I'd strongly suggest that you leave the top soil out. The greatest top soil on earth turns into something quite different when used in a container. Real soil needs to be insitu for the 'system' in the term 'soil system' to work. I, too, would use a decent peat based potting mix, perhaps adding plenty of extra perlite to it. Bagged potting mixes are (typically) peat-based, so no reason to add extra, imo. You are getting a bit of a late start in your location. Some of the plants on your list are not known for their heat tolerance. But it's always worth experimenting. I always germinate my seeds in rows, in germination flats. The seeds are sown closely and I can get a couple of hundred in each flat. I'll use bottom heat until they germinate, then allow them to develop their second set of leaves 'au natural'. I'll then transplant the babies into their individual containers, usually decent sized plastic cell packs (1204s) or 2 inch square pots. All of the stuff can be sterilized from year to year and stacked for storage. Here is a link that might be useful:

Have you visited any other gardens in your area to see what is attracting the butterflies there? Always a good idea, too. Don't know why you are not getting any. Is this the first year you've either not had many show up, or have you just started your garden this year? I know it took me a good 3-4 years to really get a good population going. Maybe it's just not a good year for butterflies in your location. Like Sandy said, last year was awful for us, altho we had a really nice population of GFs and Monarchs late in the season, starting like mid-August. Butterflies are also capricious - for example, they have never really nectared on pentas in my yard before, especially the cultivars like the Butterfly series. However, this year the Pipevines are going nuts over them. Next year, it'll probably be a different story. Lavendar is also a popular nectar plant as well as lantanas, Cosmic Orange cosmos, zinnias, cleome, and verbena bonariensis. If you get pipevine swallowtails in your area, you might want to consider Aristolochia durior (macrophylla), A. serpentaria, A. tomentosa, and A. clematitis as host plants for them. Most Black Swallowtails like fennel, parsley, dill, and Rue. The Giant Swallowtails will also use Rue as a host plant, so it's a good herb to get for both. Almost everyone in the eastern U.S. will get Black Swallowtails if you plant their food plant. Generally speaking, they don't like Queen Anne's Lace for some reason. Gulf Fritillaries use passion vine, and the natives are Passiflora incarnata (and its cultivars like 'Incense'), Passiflora lutea (likes shady areas), and Passiflora ceurulea (Blue Crown). For nectar plants, it's a good idea to try to have something in bloom during the spring, summer, and fall. Your salix should attract Viceroys and also possibly, Red Spotted Purples. Altho Wild Cherry (prunus serotina) will also attract both. The rotting fruit should definitely attract the sap-dung-fruit butterflies like your Mourning Cloaks, Hackberry Emperors, Question Marks, and Red Admirals. I planted Hops vines this year, but the QMs here prefer the Elm trees so far. I find them on the saplings most of the time, and they're easy to spot because they lay numerous eggs, with a few that are "stacked" on top of the others. Butterflies that use a number of different host plants? Sometimes you have to just take a "wait and see" to know what their favorite host plant is for your region. For example, your tiger swallowtails may prefer Cottonwood over the Sweet Bay. You can also try Ptelea trifoliata (hop tree). It can take a bit more shade than most host plants. I don't have an answer for you on your other questions about the RSPs and Tigers, so maybe someone else can pop in here and answer. Are you planting milkweed for the Monarchs? Sounds like you have a good start. It is good to have host plants and nectar plants available. Egg-laying mommas like to re-energize after a bit of egg laying. I see them nectar and then oviposit, nectar and then oviposit, so having both will assure you of an ongoing population. Welcome to the forum and good luck with your garden. We have a saying, "if you plant it, they will come"....and believe me, one day you'll have more butterflies than you know what to do with. Take if from my experience!! LOL! Susan

My favorite thing about 'Mystic' is the color - it looks pale lavendar during the sunny part of the day and then a glowing baby blue in the evening or twilight. I don't remember mine being fragrant but I had it planted with all sorts of extra smelly tropicals so it may have been over powered. Mine only lasted a few years. I will plant it again, but for the color not the smell. I love the fragrance of my Lemon Verbena - or anything lemon-y.