Subject: (no subject given)

From: Scott Feldmeyer <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 17:52:16 -0600

Subjet: Re: Anybody seen any cockroaches on the internet
I checked the Exec.pc bbs, which   has thousands of pictures of wildlife on
CD-ROM plus individual uploads, and sad to say, not 1 roach is listed!
Sorry.

---

From: "Sharon J. Collman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 21 May 1995 21:17:21 GMT

On Thu, 18 May 1995, Patrick Roper wrote:

> Butterfly Window Boxes
> 
> Last night there was a short programme on British national television on how
> to create window box gardens for butterflies.  Plants recommended included
> Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber), Wild Pansies (Viola tricolor etc.),
> Petunias, Bugle (Ajuga reptans) and Ragged-Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi).
> ============================================================

I can't speak for Great Britain, but I can for the Puget Sound region of 
Washington.  Some people report seeing butterflies quite high and window 
boxes might have some success, especially on ground floors and lower 
stories of buildings and probably diminishing with height.  

For a house or first story building it seems that the point might be to 
draw the butterflies toward the window for better viewing.  I place a 
buddleia near a window for that purpose, but it only has a short season 
of bloom, then I"m left with a mass of green. (Pleasing nevertheless). 

The red valerian is extremely attractive to a number of butterflies, much 
like Butterfly bush,  Buddleia davidii and other species or the milkweed 
species.  However, red valerian (Centranthus ruber) is quite tall and it 
may be that the  butterflies would only be visible at the top of a 
window, unless they  sheared the tops as it was growing to promote a wide 
low plant. Not having done this, I'm not sure it would work.  

Even more important, is what butterfly species occur in an area, and what 
plants does it prefer for nectar sources.  The cues for butterflies may 
include scent, color, shape and ability to land on the flower for 
nectaring.  Also the watering is important to ensure that nectar does 
flow and that the consistancy is correct for the thin probosis.  Thick 
nectar is like drinking a thick shake through a straw.  Frustrating.

Red valerian is attractive to cabbage whites (presumably also your large 
white), swallowtails (Papilio) and painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) here.

So matching plants with butterflies is a key factor, and maybe selecting 
low plants for visibility, and experimenting to extend bloom time.  We 
get two blooms on Centranthus by shearing them back after flowering, and 
they sometimes flower twice.  Another trick is to set pots of flowers in 
the window box, and rotate them to extend bloom time.  Some pots can be 
kept in a shadier location to delay bloom.  These then can replace the 
spent plants.  Again, watering of pots is more important if they are 
individual and both window box and pots may require waterering as often 
as 2x/day in hot weather.  Test by sticking your finger in the pot.  
Moist soil = finger feels cool from evaporating moisture.  Hot finger = 
more water.

Sharon J. Collman
c/o Center For Urban Horticulture
University of Washington  GF-15
Seattle, WA  98195

Phone:  206-543-8616 
Fax:    206-685-2692
EMail:  [email-masked]

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