I could probably have a lot more success in butterfly gardening if I devoted my whole yard to it. I have so many diverse interests, it's extremely difficult for me to choose between them, lol! Herbs are great because they do double or triple duty--butterfly food, pretty flowers, edible or drinkable products from them. I'm always looking for plants that have multiple good qualities. Originally I wanted to do edible landscaping, but I have found that the squirrels are quite a formidable obstacle. Not only do they tear up my tomatoes, etc, but they drag them around the neighborhood and leave the remains on my neighbors porches and lawns. My edibles are relegated to a few closely guarded pots by the back door. Just yesterday I caught a squirrel eyeing my cherry toms! Anyway, initially due to my experience at other sites, I thought the buddleia would be an easy thing to draw in the butterflies, but you can't draw in something that just isn't there. I had a large butterfly garden at one arboretum where I worked, we had all kinds of supposed butterfly plants in the garden and inevitably they would be ignored in favor of the buddleia. But that place was loaded with wildflower meadows, woods, etc. That's what originally gave me the idea of planting buddleia in my yard, I thought it would be an easy way to watch butterflies and only necessitate one plant's worth of space devoted to it. Other than the butterfly qualities it has, I am not a fan of the plant, up here it is invasive as my neighbor is proving. Although the fact that her above ground pool is a weedy mess in this urban situation I doubt is threatening critical habitat. We had all kinds of natives in the butterfly garden I mentioned above, and we were dilligent about removing the buddleia flowers before they set seed. But like I said, inevitably the natives would be ignored. It could be in that situation the buddleia was like candy, the cats had plenty of other sources of nectar, and most importantly, they were there in the first place because of all the larval habitat. Yesterday I was out on the front porch and I saw a monarch flying along the street. Perhaps I shall plant some milkweed. I like the plant, it does look kind of cool and smells heavanly. They have a good selection of varieties at the native plant nursery I frequent. I'm not that crazy about the orange variety, but I like swamp milkweed's flowers. On a serious note, if one was to design a butterfly garden for an urban site, it would probably be best to figure out what butterflies one could even remotely expect to foster in an urban situation, and then plant larval foods for those species. Frankly I could care less what those cabbage butterflies like, they seem to be quite able to fend for themselves without my help, :) Swallowtails might be easier to please, I like the plants in the umbelliferea family (dill and the like) I already have two plants in that family in my yard, dill and bishop's weed (although I hate the bishop's weed). I love fennel so that would be easy enough to stick in a pot. I've already mentioned monarchs. Not sure what else. There is a lot of grass and common weeds around there but I don't seem to see meadow or woods loving species. A meadow-type garden is not feasible for me due to the space competition. No room for willows, (love the corkscrew variety but I love my other shrubs and trees more) but I have wanted to try lupines. Even if they don't draw in the butterflies. Hard to grow in this zone though.

Have had fig plants in pots wake up as late as mid August. As a note kept just enough water so soil mixture did not completely dry out as when not actively in leaf the water uptake is minimal . Martin

Growing from seed 10 years ago, unless you purchased it from an exotic source, it is most likely either Passiflora edulis or Passiflora caerulea. I would wager it is the latter. In either case your problem is almost certainly not enough light. Most Passiflora prefer a good amount of sun. I have two possible suggestions for you. Since you are almost ready to give up on it, try putting it outdoors in full sun for the Spring and Summer. P. caerulea tends to bloom in late Spring and early Summer, so as long as you bring it out early enough, it should bloom for you with enough sun. I live in California (zone 9), and ours are in full day harsh sun. We get about a dozen days per year over 100 degrees, and they thrive. Obviously, you will need to be very aware of the watering, since you are used to growing it indoors. Alternately, make a cutting or two and create new plants to experiment on. If you started them now, it is still possible, though unlikely, that it could bloom this year. If I am right, and it is Passiflora caerulea, it can withstand quite cold temperatures, even some frost. I would put them into sun as early as it is safe to not get too many days of freeze, as your plants are not used it. As for the spider mites, Karyn is right that they are much more prevalent indoors than out, but even if you did get them, P. caerulea is a strong hardy plant that unless badly infested, can and will survive with a little care. Pests are just part of growing plants, and something we all learn to live with. One last suggestion. Post or email me pictures of your plant, so I can try to help you identify it. If I am wrong with my P. caerulea guess, or even if it is P. edulis, much of my advice will not be voided. Good luck and happy growing! Feel free to email me or post with any other questions you may have. Eric Wortman

April...I have just read your plea for help with an imposible situation. As you know, I lost a daughter who was bipolar. Her life for many years was a hell that I know I still don't fully realize. We lived more than 100 miles away so weren't involved in her life on a daily basis. Fortunately she never had an addiction to battle along with the disease, but I know that for her husband of more that 20 years, everyday was an "unknown". What I want to tell you is that Terry's father and I gave our son-in-law our blessing the day he came to us and asked us to become more involved with her because he just couldn't take it any more and had to "get out". He assured us that he had no intention of leaving her abruptly. That he wanted to try to make sure that she had a network of family and friends that would be looking out for her before he did anything. He said divorce was not in his plans, because that would leave her without medical insurance. He spent several hours with us that day telling us many things about her that we needed to know if he wasn't in the picture to help in a crisis. That was 2 years before we lost her. They were in marriage counseling for most of that time...not counseling to save the marriage, but to help ready her for his leaving. He was still with her trying to pave the way for her to be on her own the day she died. And we were still supporting him in his decision to leave at some point. Some might think that we were wrong to show compassion for him, but there are times that this "for better or worse, in sickness and in health" stuff cannot and should not be honored. The bottom line April is that you have endured more than enough and your son is the one you must have the most concern for now. You cannot "fix" your husband. He can't fix himself. It is the nature of the illness. Go to counseling and a lawyer. Find out the way to best get out...not only for yourself, but for your husband. He is a danger to you, your son, and himself. Don't sacrifice yourself or your son for something that cannot be fixed.