Interesting about the Humming Bird Hawk moth on the Buddleia - I have 2 large B's but not noticed the HBH taking much notice of them. Valerian and then Honeysuckle are their "go to " plants here. I can't remember whether you have a Buddleia @Lyn but seem to remember you always had the HBH moths/caterpillars ?
There are plenty of jasmin species that are fully hardy in the and even the less hardy star jasmine, seemed to sail through this very cold winter locally (I dont grow it but it's very common and planted in every situation you can think off from tiny pots to the windiest areas).
We have winter jasmine and a few of the summer flowering species and they are all really attractant to insects but some can be quite rampant, far more rampant than japanese honeysuckle ime.
Interesting about the Humming Bird Hawk moth on the Buddleia - I have 2 large B's but not noticed the HBH taking much notice of them. Valerian and then Honeysuckle are their "go to " plants here. I can't remember whether you have a Buddleia @Lyn but seem to remember you always had the HBH moths/caterpillars ?
There is a lot of buddleia in my area and near my garden, there's a giant wild one not far from my back garden which is always covered in butterflies. I've got two, one is small at the front and a "big" dwarf buddleia variety at the back which seems to be the popular one where I see all the different butterflies and hawk moths. They seem to ignore the honeysuckle at the front which is interesting, not sure why considering it is in the sun all afternoon until the sun goes down.
There are plenty of jasmin species that are fully hardy in the and even the less hardy star jasmine, seemed to sail through this very cold winter locally (I dont grow it but it's very common and planted in every situation you can think off from tiny pots to the windiest areas).
We have winter jasmine and a few of the summer flowering species and they are all really attractant to insects but some can be quite rampant, far more rampant than japanese honeysuckle ime.
It must be very happy where it is, I've noticed plants that are usually given credit as 'rampant' slow down to an extent in certain conditions but then again you would expect them too (especially if they are under threat by the conditions etc.)
Interesting about the Humming Bird Hawk moth on the Buddleia - I have 2 large B's but not noticed the HBH taking much notice of them. Valerian and then Honeysuckle are their "go to " plants here. I can't remember whether you have a Buddleia @Lyn but seem to remember you always had the HBH moths/caterpillars ?
Loads of them Philippa, all of the colours, can you recall the huge white one outside of the conservatories. Dark red by the telegraph pole and several plain old purple ones. we do have the patches of stinging nettle though to back them up.
The moths and caterpillars we have here are Elephant Hawk moths, they completely ate away those two fuchsia bushes when you were here. Fuchsia is their favourite food.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
@Lyn Yes, now you've reminded me where the Budleias are, I can picture them exactly. Heaven knows how I forgot the big white one in particular !!! And yes, it was the Elephant Hawk moth caterpillars I was thinking of - they certainly did love those Fuschias. I can remember trying to count them once
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A lot of the posts/threads by this poster are very repetitive...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I can't remember whether you have a Buddleia @Lyn but seem to remember you always had the HBH moths/caterpillars ?
We have winter jasmine and a few of the summer flowering species and they are all really attractant to insects but some can be quite rampant, far more rampant than japanese honeysuckle ime.
we do have the patches of stinging nettle though to back them up.
The moths and caterpillars we have here are Elephant Hawk moths, they completely ate away those two fuchsia bushes when you were here. Fuchsia is their favourite food.