Welcome to the Butterfly Forum, Bob!
If all those roses you were growing were hybrid teas, I don't blame you for getting rid of them. I refuse to spend the hours necessary spraying them for black spot, only to have them die later anyway - and you've got to be damaging the environment when you spray so much for bugs and diseases. I've got some old tea roses that I've had for years that thrive with no care other than a handful of chicken manure spread around them in the spring, my kind of roses!
Butterfly gardening is the most fun of all! I'm glad you got good plants from the nurseries you mentioned. I mostly use mail-order nurseries from this area that specialize in our local natives, like Mail Order Natives, Pine Ridge Gardens, Woodlander's, etc.
Good luck with your garden, and feel free to ask us any questions.
Sherry

I have a few host plants (fennel, paw paw tree, butterfly weed), and
nectar plants. When you have both, the butterflies visit you all day
long laying eggs and getting nectar from flowers. That is my
focus for my garden. Flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds
and bee's. You will be happy with a butterfly garden, plus the
flowers are so petty too. Don't forget to plant zinnia's.

Hi, Bob, and welcome to the forum! We love people who love butterflies (and moths, which I garden for also). You will find this a most endearing group here, who love to answer questions and offer help in this endeavor.

I would also recommend Bustani Plant Farm in Oklahoma. They have excellent plants and shipping is great. Another source we use is dogwooderitternet. Just google his name. He is in Arkansas and sells via eBay, one of the sources I trust.

A lot of us order seeds and plants from Prairie Moon. Another source in that same state I believe, is Everwilde Farms. They only have seeds, I think, but I ordered seeds of Asclepias curassavica (Tropical Milkweed) from them because they sell over 1,000 seeds for like $2.50. The best buy I found so far, and I can vouch that their seeds are highly viable. They can be direct sown about this time so you don't have to do a lot of what I call "molly-coddling". They are a favored host plant for the Monarchs.

In your location, another good source is Plant Delights, in North Carolina. They have a fantastic website. Just google that, too. I am really into Salvia this year, and they have a lot that are attractive as nectar plants to both butterflies and hummers.

I love the fact that you are still gardening at "almost 80". There is hope for me yet!!

Susan

Misssherry, even knowing the necessity for reducing the workload, I already sorely miss the roses! Keep in mind that repeat-blooming roses in my garden bloomed from mid May right up until November. I agree with your feelings on insecticidal spray since, with a little help, the various insects control themselves. I kept sixteen roses of various types. Thanks for your offer of help...I will need it.

Bob

Thanks for your encouragement!

Bob

I appreciate the additional sources for plants. I have used Plant Delights for several years and have always been extremely pleased with their product. I also enjoy the humor of the owner!

I own several Salvias from his broad selection. His plants are always exceptional in vigor, size and condition! Of mine, Henry Duelberg attracted, by far, more bees than any of the other plants, though all were in pretty near constant use. All the salvias received more action from the bees than from butterflies or hummingbirds but there was consistent usage by both. In my garden, there will always be salvias. Thanks for the welcome!

Typical plant repotted same day as received.
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Salvia, "Black & Blue"
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Salvia, "Blue Oak Sage".
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Salvia, "Henry Duelberg"
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Salvia "Hot Lips".
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Salvia, "Teresa"
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Bob

Bob, those salvias are gorgeous, and you're quite a photographer!
I ordered four new salvias from Plant Delights, S. regla, S. 'Silke Dream', S. 'Hot Lips' and S. microphylla 'San Carlos Festival'. I also rooted 6 more S. guaraniticas (the species, which blooms more for me) and my S. microphyllas from last year have overwintered and are growing like weeds! S. guaranitica not only is real easy for me to grow, it's the most popular with hummers and butterflies. I'm looking forward to seeing how the new ones fare.
Sherry

Wow - beautiful photos, Bob. I have had S. guaranitica 'Black and Blue' for a few years now, but for me it doesn't get near as much attention from the butterflies or hummers as other butterfly nectar plants in the garden.

I recently purchased a S. 'Hot Lips' and it is blooming already. It was only about 5" tall when I got it, and it's now about 9" tall. The blooms are solid red, but I expect it will start blooming the bi-color as it warms up and the days lengthen.

I also have seeds of S. 'Lady in Red', 'Forest Fire', darcyi, subrotunda, and regla coming up, and a 'Cherry Queen' coming in the mail. I'm having a "red" moment in the garden this year, LOL! I really want S. penstemonoides yet.....sigh..... I think that Rich Dufresne provides Tony with a lot of his Salvia collection and hybrids.

Flame Acanthus is another you might enjoy (Anisacanthus quadrifolia var. wrightii) that hummers and butterflies love, too. Where am I going to put all of this stuff???

I am giving up on Verbesina encelioides (Golden Crownbeard) because it dies at the drop of a hat when we get rain here, and it's in a location with excellent drainage. I am switching to V. alternifolia because it can take more shade and more moisture (not that I'll need to water it more or anything as it can survive without a great deal of moisture, it is just more tolerant of water). These are host plants for Bordered Patches and Silvery Checkerspots, but I don't know if you get the BPs in Maryland. Monarchs love to nectar on them, too.

I love Tony Avent's humor!

I also ordered a Dianthus Southern Heirloom from Steve Bustani. I am tired of not having enough nectar plants in early spring here, darn it!

Keep those beautiful photographs coming!

Susan

I am glad to know that I am not alone in having a "bare cupboard" when the early butterflies come along. I had my first Cabbage White on March 15 this year and the Spring Azures began to fly about a week later. I was unable to attract any of these to perch long enough for photographing. One of the Azures did pause long enough on a Robin's droppings but I had the wrong lens on the camera. What do the others of you use for early season nectar?

Most of my plants are newly planted this year so perhaps I'll have earlier growth on some of these next year. My zone 7 garden is just now approaching the early bloom stage for the earliest bloomers...so far, my blooms have consisted of dandelions and azaleas along with my early bulbs. I did catch a nice shot, or two, of a Tiger Swallowtail last week on the azaleas.

The salvia "hot lips" blooms, in my garden, have red and white blooms in the spring followed by solid red blooms in summer and the fall blooms are red and white again.

Bob

Bob,

Early bloomers in my garden include, Sweet Williams, Amsonia or Blue Starflowers, Pussytoes, Lilacs, Pansies, and the blossoms on Prunus, willow, etc. Wild plums, (which I don't have and wish I did) are one of the first good nectar sources around here, attracting quite a few early lepidoptera. Fruit trees in bloom. I also have seen skippers on my speedwell, Chives is another early nectar provider. Larkspur which is getting ready to bloom entices BFs to nectar. And the dianthus called "pinks", which are perennial, are visited by Red Admirals. Red bud trees for the Henry Elfins and some beautiful little moths. If I think of more, I'll post. One more--blueberries which are in bloom now.

Sandy

Dandelions are early nectar sources in my yard, but not purposefully so. Also, my holly is visited by azures at times, and it blooms in April.

Jeff

At Farmer's Mkt this evening, one of my fellow vendors showed me a picture of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Kale blossoms. He says he lets the Kale go to seed at the end of winter and gets all kinds of bees and butterflies on the blooms. He's going to share some seed with me and I'll see what I come up with next year.

Sandy

Sandy, Of these, I have Pussytoes and garlic chives which I just received as first year plants...perhaps they will bloom early enough next year to help. While I am not currently growing Kale, I do have six cabbage plants growing this year which I will let go to seed this winter. Thanks for the tips.

Bob

Thanks Jeff! I have had the spring Azure traffic this year but I have had trouble getting them to "pose". They have really frequented my native holly trees but mine do not bloom until May. I was not able to make positive ID but I assume that, based on their fondness for hollies and the early season that they were Holly Azures and were ovi-positing their eggs.

Bob