The Budding Buddleja's Are Blooming

...The Buddlejas in the flower garden are really showing their stuff. Their peak is well past, but there are still quite a few "bloom cones" left for me and the insects to enjoy.
Some of my Buds were bought and some are "mixed" naturally. I like them all.
The first one is Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'.

The next one is, I believe, a mix between the 'Black Knight' and the 'Royal Red'.
On the foto it almost looks like it could be a 'Nlack Knight', but in real life, the difference is very apparent.

This is the 'Royal Red', in real life a very startling tint.

One of the two that I use by the wooden arches is the 'Pink Delight', I think.

I think that this next one is also a 'mix' between the white one and one of the others.

...and finally the big, fat 'White Profusion

 

Gorgeous Sjoerd. I only have a wild boy in my garden, no idea of breeding, but the bugs and butterflies love them. I love the Black Knight and may have to acquire that one for my patch.

 

I think that you would really like the black knight--it truly is almost black when seen with the naked eye.

 

They are wonderful! I have tried twice to grow them here but both times they failed to return after the winter. I think if I could find a big enough space in my back garden it would be sheltered enough there.

 

Beautiful, Sjoerd.

My Black Knight and the Royal Red are just starting to bloom. I too, love how they attract the hummingbirds and flutterbys.

 

Hey, where's the white one? I can't see it. Your buddlejas are a wonder to see with those big, fat blooms. And the scent... Mmmm!

 

Right you are, droopy! What would I do without you? hahahaha
I have placed it now.

Thank you for the nice compliments. They can be so lovely to see, and they do indeed attract many iflying nsects.

Netty, You could try a very thick mulch at the bush's base during the winter. That would help protect against the cold...but if it's moisture that kills them then a pot might be the only trusty answer.
Anyway perhaps you are right about where you place it.
I want you to succeed, Netty. Keep us poisted on this. What a pity you don't live close-by me, for I have a couple of seedlings that I must dig-up and give away each year.

 

OH!!! Do you think that a buddleia would flourish in a large pot? That might be a good option for my space. What do you think?

 

Well so many plants, bushes and trees are grown in large pots on terraces so I'm wondering ...why not?
When nothing seems to work, sometimes one must think of a different approach.
With gardening, my attitude is to never give up until all avenues have been tried.

 

The blooms are wonderful.

 

beautiful sjoerd! we have a few of these here too. we call them butterfly bushes! one we've had for many years, but it's having trouble coming back the last couple of years. i used to trim them down come fall or in the dead of winter, but i let it go for a couple years. the bush got really huge and now is staying mostly woody and dead , and last year only produced a couple limbs. any ideas what i can do to help it?

 

Oh my oh my, be still my heart.What wonderful blooms and the colors are my favorite.Sjored I envy your garden.You work hard to get is so beautiful.I wish I could wander through it.

 

Oh I think they would do well in a pot. I saw one growing and flowering from between the bricks of the 3rd story of a burnt-out abandon building in old downtown Tacoma years ago. I would think a pot would be a comfy home compared to that.

 

Hi bunkie, nice to see you again.I do have a couple of things that I can suggest:

I like to prune the Buddleja either towards the end of October or in the middle of March. Some years, I do both.
If you have some branches that are absolutely dead, then prune those away first. Prune them all the way back as far as you can.
If your bush is oldish and the mature branches are quite long then prune the bush back to 60-70 cm's from the ground (at ± 15 March). You could leave them longer if you want a tallish plant.
Generally speaking, the Buddleja can be pruned back hard and it will give more new branches that arch attractively.

Just a word about those dead flowers on yourt Buddleja: You can remove those as they turn brown. This is not a "must", but if you do this it helps in two respects--the plant will not have to make seeds and you could get new blooms into the fall.

I hope this helps. As always, these suggestions are not gospel, but it's how I do it and based on my personal experience.

Good luck now, Bunkie....and don't stay away so long.