Lantanas-Perhaps the best plant in the Butterfly Garden (Page 2): There are times when I envy your location...you have the climate to grow so many things that are impossible for us!

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

Cwilson341 wrote:

Excellent shots, Bob - both the Lantana and the butterflies! You have some varieties of Lantana that I have not seen before. Lantana grows wild here and I also have it in my garden. I agree that it is one of the best attractants for butterflies and bees.

There are times when I envy your location...you have the climate to grow so many things that are impossible for us! There are so many varieties available that it would require a catalog to list them all. One of my favorites is the variegated leafed SAMANTHA shown above. The hardiest one I grow is MISS HUFF. I appreciate your visit and for taking the time to comment!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

HOT Texas wrote:

Beautiful shots Bob!!!!

Glad you found the time to stop by, and for adding to the post!

Have a nice weekend!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

merrytexan wrote:

beautiful group of butterflies and lantana, bob! i'm glad you finally had the success you had hoped for.
i love lantana...it's a favorite because it doesn't need to be watered often, and the butterflies,hummingbirds and skippers are crazy about it.
how do you get both the lantana and the butterfly on it in focus?

Afternoon, Merry! Check my reply to Angela above, I commented on the focusing method I use there. I like it also because I can sit in a chair when I deadhead it! If I am unable to get the overwintering results I am looking for, I will certainly arrange to purchase the larger plants next year.

Thanks for viewing my post and for adding your content to this post!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

STVest wrote:

Beautiful shots of some beautiful lantana, Bob! ... (show quote)

What a pleasure it would be to have these plants without having the difficult chore of starting all over each year. Sorry for the poor results they gave you this year but such is the life of a farmer! Thank you for visiting my post and for your added remarks...they add a great deal to a post!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

CLF wrote:

Bob, excellent photos and education. I need to find some and will start them in the spring.

Greg

Thank you Greg! With your extended growing season and your grower friendly zone, you should have no problem growing them successfully as a perennial. One of the hardiest in your zone is MISS HUFF! Your 24-105 lens will be an excellent choice for butterflies. Readily available at most nurseries.

Glad you came by!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

sb wrote:

Good job! Both the lantanas and the butterfly bushes attract tons of butterflies! The hassle of dead-heading the butterfly buses is worth it, though!

If I didn't agree with you, I wouldn't be growing eight of the Butterfly Bushes! My top three pollinator plants include the Butterfly Bushes, the Lantanas and the Brazilian Verbena.

Nice to have compatible enjoyments such as growing plants and photography to perpetuate them!

Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to add to the post!

Hope you are enjoying a nice weekend!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

Treepusher wrote:

Beautiful shots, Bob! Good advice on the lantana, too!

Always nice to have you visit, Randy!

Glad you came by!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

suci wrote:

Excellent shots Bob. My lantanas didn't do very well this year. Too dry. I am in Texas and I usually cut Lantanas back to the ground. They always come back in the spring. Some of the Lantana bushes have been here 20 years or so.

Being in Texas, there probably is no Fall season...that is why there are 20 year old plants while in my area I grow them as annuals!. I envy the ease with which you can grow them there. Thanks, again, for viewing and for caring enough to add your remarks!

Bob

Sylvias Loc: North Yorkshire England

Excellent downloads of beautiful flowers and butterflies. The different colours are gorgeous, love the Ham & Eggs. I have never tried to grow Lantanas, after seeing your display Bob I will be off to the nursery in Spring!

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

bob_71 wrote:

In my garden, at best, I am at the northernmost li... (show quote)

Beautiful series, Bob and after conversing with you a few days ago I mentioned to my wife, Ellen that we needed to visit our plant nursery to glean some advice about cutting back or just letting the tops of the lantana die naturally, so think that you have answered my question! We also have some full size butterfly bushes and also several dwarf ones, and this season pruned all down to ground level. It worked great last season, but not quite as well this year so think that next season I will prune back the full size ones to about 18 inches, and will not prune the dwarf ones! In the past the full size ones grew tall enough too make it difficult in obtaining decent shots of the butterflies without being on a ladder and most of them always seemed to nectar near the top.

Take care! Corky

sailorsmom Loc: Souderton, PA

Looking good, hdfilmnoir!

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

Sylvias wrote:

Excellent downloads of beautiful flowers and butterflies. The different colours are gorgeous, love the Ham & Eggs. I have never tried to grow Lantanas, after seeing your display Bob I will be off to the nursery in Spring!

Nice of you to visit the post, Sylvia! Really quite easy to grow this tidy plant. I appreciate your kind comments and hope to see some of your photos!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

Swamp-Cork wrote:

Beautiful series, Bob and after conversing with yo... (show quote)

Most of the sources that I read recommend pruning the full-size Butterfly Bushes in late winter down to about 18". I have already pruned my full sized ones down to about 4' to reduce branch breakage in the winter storms. At that time, it also served as my final deadheading. The internet provides really good information on pruning when you search as long as you toss out those by vendors. Have a nice Sunday!

Bob

bob_71 Loc: Severna Park, MD

sailorsmom wrote:

Looking good, hdfilmnoir!

Morning, Sue! Thanks for the comment...as for my film noir bias, I have a taste for "shooting dark". I set my camera with the EV set at minus 2/3 stops and tend to shoot in bright sun. My results seem to respond to a little tweak to the lighter areas without "blowing all the highlights. It also often results in the deep shadow areas presenting themselves as quite dense allowing for good separation between subject and background. The two shots below show, in the first example, an untouched shot of an Asian Pear branch just as it appeared when shot. The second shot shows an area cropped out of the middle of the original that was lightened in PHOTOSHOP. I guess all of us tend to shoot to our own taste and this one reflects mine! This shot was taken at high noon on a very bright day.

Have a great day!

Bob

Unaltered shot as it came from the camera

(Download)

Cropped portion lightened in photoshop

(Download)

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

bob_71 wrote:

Most of the sources that I read recommend pruning the full-size Butterfly Bushes in late winter down to about 18". I have already pruned my full sized ones down to about 4' to reduce branch breakage in the winter storms. At that time, it also served as my final deadheading. The internet provides really good information on pruning when you search as long as you toss out those by vendors. Have a nice Sunday!

Bob