The Inside Dirt at iloveplants.com for September 2004

In This Issue:
*Our Top Website Choices for September on Butterfly Gardens and Dried Flowers

Greetings fellow gardeners and a warm welcome to all of our new subscribers! A lot can happen in a garden overnight as I found out this past month. Less than three weeks ago when Hurricane Charley dropped in for an overnight visit, and changed my shade garden into a bright sunny one. We lost a live oak and Chinese elm tree when they were toppled over by strong winds. Fortunately, they both fell onto the lawn and into the neighbor's driveway just barely brushing his house (see pictures below). As I was out surveying the damage the next morning, I couldn't help but notice that there was a lot of butterflies around. I wondered where these delicate creatures had hidden in order to weather the storm. Seeing them amidst the damage and debris was uplifting and brightened my day. So, out of respect for the mysteries of nature we are featuring these "flying flowers" who survived the powerful forces of nature. Learn more about butterflies and how to attract them to your garden in the three highly rated websites we are featuring this month.

This month you will also find a cool site for dried flower enthusiasts, a special gardening contest for women ONLY and the 2005 All-America Selections for vegetables and flowers. The summer clearance sales are in full force this month. Gardeners can reap a ton of savings on all garden-related products. Check out our Garden Bargains section for the latest offers!

We've added the Gardener's Bookshelf as a new directory on our homepage. When you purchase any type of book you have the opportunity to help support iloveplants.com by choosing to make your purchase through our affiliate program with Amazon.com. Check out our large selection of books on roses, perennials, orchids, landscape design, water gardening, trees, garden structures and annuals.

Butterfly Gardens

Butterflies have been referred to as �dancing flowers.� They bring a garden to life with their bright colors and poetic dance from one flower to another.

Our viewers have given these 3 websites on butterfly gardening top ratings.

To attract a variety of species of butterflies to your garden you will need to plant a variety of nectar and larvae plants. Stephanie Bailey with the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology provides great information on this topic in her article entitled, How to Make Butterfly Gardens (Rated 10). She also includes an explanation of the butterfly anatomy, as well as other goodies that attract butterflies. Lots of good information!

Garden Country.com provides a list of 46 annuals, perennials and herbs in their list of Flowers that Attract Butterflies (Rated 10). Their list indicates which plants serve as nectar and/or larvae food plants, and includes water & light requirements. This is a helpful quick reference!

Butterflies of North America (Rated 10) is a fantastic site for information on butterflies. They provide very detailed and informative lists, which include an identification guide, wing span, life history, caterpillar host plants, adult food plants, habitat, range, and great photos of their various stages: eggs, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly. Butterfly lovers will love this site!

See our Butterfly page for more great websites with information on butterfly gardening, as well as some mail-order sources for plants and products.

Dried Flowers Galore

Drying the flowers that you grow in your garden is a fun hobby and a great way to continue to enjoy them year round. The Dried Flowers Galore website is a growing community of dried flower enthusiasts, novice to expert, who share their experiences, knowledge and all their drying expertise. Visit today to learn more or to participate in their forum.

The Gardener�s Bookshelf

Visit our new Gardener�s Bookshelf directory to view our great selection of gardening books. We have a large selection of books on perennials, roses, orchids, landscape design, water gardening, trees, garden structures and annuals.

By choosing books through our partnership with Amazon you will be helping to support iloveplants.com. We will donate 10% of the profits generated from book purchases to the Garden Conservancy Organization to help conserve gardens today and for future generations. Thank you for your support!

Garden News for September

Are you America�s Most Yard Smart Woman?

Find out today by entering Briggs & Stratton�s contest. Send a 200-word or less description of why you should be named America�s Most Yard Smart Woman and win a chance to receive a trip to Europe�s landmark parks or gardens in either London or Rome. Deadline is October 15th.

2005 All-America Selections

View the 2005 All-America Selections: Arizona Sun (Gaillardia), First Kiss Blueberry (Vinca), Magellan Coral (Zinnia), Fairy Tale (Eggplant), Sugary (Tomato), Bonbon (Winter Squash) and more!

Garden Bargains Online � Summer Clearance Sales!

Visit our GARDEN BARGAINS page for the latest special offers, discounts, coupons and sales offered by nurseries and garden product companies.

In closing, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the last of the summer flowers and prepare for the first blooms of spring. Enjoy these later summer days in the garden!

Susan Myers