Pink Purple Butterfly

Butterfly Bush: Loved by People and Butterflies Alike

The beautiful flowering butterfly bush is so named because it attracts butterflies, making it a striking conversation piece in any yard.  Butterfly bushes get very large, so keep that in mind when choosing a place to plant one.  They usually get at least six feet tall and can get much taller in good growing conditions.  The flowers are in large spiked clusters of pink, purple, red or white with orange throats.  Butterfly bush should not be confused with the orange wildflower known as butterfly.

The butterfly bush is hardy in zones 5 to 10, which is most of the southern half of the US.  The butterfly bush was originally found in the Orient, then was taken to France for cultivation.  In Europe it was called "summer lilac" because of the large fragrant flower clusters that resemble lilac. The plant attracts hummingbirds as well as butterflies.

Butterfly bushes are easy to grow as long as they have normal garden soil and at least six hours of daylight per day.  Of course, you also need to remember to give them plenty of room.  Some people like to prune them back to half their size in the late summer so that they will have new growth and lots of blooms when the butterflies migrate in September and October.  They also stay in bloom better when you remove dead flowers.  An established bush is somewhat tolerant of drought conditions.

There is one drawback with butterfly bushes, according to some experts.  Since the bush is not native to North America, and since it is so easy to grow, it is considered an invasive species in some places.  They also argue that it doesn't really help the butterflies that come to it because it is not a suitable host plant for them.  That is, it is not a plant where they can lay eggs, and which will feed the caterpillars.

If you already have a butterfly bush that you enjoy every year, you can make it more environmentally friendly by removing the dead heads before they go to seed and trimming the plant back each year.  If you use a heavy mulch around the bottom, you won't have to worry as much about new seedlings coming up.  Make your butterfly garden even more useful to butterflies by planting some milkweed relatives, such as the butterfly weed

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What's a good idea for decorating a cake in a very nice way?using purple flowers or something like them?

I'm making a birthday cake for my friend's 15th birthday and it's going to be a 3 layer marble sponge cake covered in roll out fondant icing..... i've made some purple,pink and yellow roll out now so i'm just wondering how could i decorate the cake to make it look fancy/classy? maybe using butterflies or flowers? purple is her favourite colour so preferably purple....I'm going to write happy 15th birthday on it so i was hoping for an idea that would be something to the left and maybe down the side of the cake? Thank you if you answer especially if you give a link for a picture of the cake you describe!

Hi. I'm sure she will love it
Do you have any cutters? If not then you can get them from ebay or craft shops.

http://crafts.shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=flower+cutters&_sacat=57211&_dmpt=Uk_Crafts_Cake_Decorating_MJ&_odkw=sugarpaste+cutters&_osacat=57211&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

As for a design. If it's a 3 tiered cake I would start with smaller flowers at the top and increase their size as you move down to the bottom of the cake. Make sure you add in some of the other sizes too otherwise it'll look too uniform and boring. This is very hard to explain lol.
Say from the top 3 small, 1 medium, 2 small, 1 medium, 4 small, 1 medium, 1 large, 3 small. Then as I say move down towards the bottom and increase the medium and decrease the small. Then decrease medium and increase large.
Start on the top and slowly move around the cake as you work your way down so that it ends on the opposite side from where you started.
I would do purple and pink flowers and use the yellow to make the occasional butterfly.
I do hope this makes some sense! Good luck with it
You can check out my cakes at www.facebook.com/bumblecakes

PINK AND PURPLE BUTTERFLY

Pink and Purple Butterfly 4-piece Twin-size Girl's Bedding Set $109.99 The embroidery works and appliques of butterflies and flowers in this bedding set by JoJo Designs will create a fresh spring-time look for your child's room. This set uses the color combination of pink, purple, sage green, and yellow on cotton fabrics.

Pink/ Purple Butterfly Collection 5-piece Toddler Girls's Bedding Set $89.99 This Butterfly bedding set by JoJo Designs will create a fresh spring-time look for your girl's room all year round. This bedding set features detailed embroidery works and appliques of butterflies and flowers to give this set a timeless designer look.

Donna Bella Designs Butterfly Shoe Jewelry Organizers (Pack of 3) $52.19 These three beautiful shoes, with decorative butterflies, accommodate 8 rings per shoe. In bright sparkling colors, these shoe jewelry organizers are a lovely addition to your dresser or vanity.

Brass Golden Butterfly Purple Shell Dangle Earrings (Thailand) $18.89 Dangling accents with unique style, these earrings are adorned with purple mother of pearl, rose quartz gemstones and a golden butterfly design. These earrings were handmade in Thailand by artisan, Siam.

JoJo Designs Butterfly 3-piece Girls Queen-size Quilt Set $109.99 The butterfly 3-piece bedding set by JoJo Designs will create a fun garden theme room for your child. This striking bedding set comes in coordinating fabrics in pink, purple, green and yellow colors.

Funtime Children's Butterfly Rug (2'6 x 4') $28.49 A colorful butterfly design highlights this Funtime nylon children's rug. This machine-made area rug features shades of pink, purple, ivory and lime green.

Butterfly 5-piece Wall Decor $41.99 Dress up your little girl's room with this set of brilliant butterfly wall decorations. Featuring colors of pink, purple and green, these butterflies are made of wood.

iPod nano TPU Crystal Skin Case $4.99 This pink butterfly case keeps your pod Nano sixth generation safe and protected in style. This protective case makes your phone more stylish and fun.

Surgical Steel Glitter Stone Butterfly 14-gauge Navel Ring $5.75 Belly ring is crafted of 316L surgical stainless steelBody jewelry features a butterfly charm with clear crystal and glittery colorful stonesNavel ring is available in blue, purple, and pink color options

Sterling Silver Purple Dichroic Glass Post Earrings (Mexico) $25.19 These purple dichroic glass earrings are set in sterling silver and have pink spots adding to their vibrant look. Worn on butterfly posts, these handmade earrings will add a unique style to any ensemble.