My Mother's Day gift, at last

Around Mother's Day D.R. searched for a lilac bush for me. He knew I was a bit home sick and that I love lilacs, which Rochester is pretty famous for. He had no luck. In our area we have Japanese Dwarf Lilacs, which just look like a regular round shrub most of the year, then all of a sudden they get beautiful blossoms for about a week. I have some in the front and didn't want that kind again. So, on Mother's Day, he told me of his good intentions and gave me an I.O.U. We have both been looking for them since then. I really don't know why we can't find one, I have seen them in yards of neighbors. Maybe this was just a bad year for Lilac growers.

Anyway, I went to Home Depot today to get some mums, and found this beautiful Butterfly Bush! She was calling to me, saying "take me home". So I did. I know the season is almost over but I look forward to seeing how big and beautiful she will be next summer. It's not exactly a Lilac but it's still beautiful. I was tired of looking at the big empty spot in my garden that was waiting for something pretty and blossoming.

Another thing we have here in the Midwest is the "Midwestern Ash Borer". It's a beetle that has a voracious appetite for trees and some shrubs. Literally 30 seconds after I planted my new Butterfly Bush, it was covered with 10 Borers, and one lonely butterfly. I sprayed the heck out of them, said a few unkind words, and am now hoping we have seen the last of the Ash Borers in our yard!