Great suggestions! We have plenty of swallowtail butterflies visit but only a few monarchs each year. It will never cease to amaze me that whole plants can grow from a tiny seed and the cycle of life with insects and animals. Nature ROCKS :)

I actually grew a few apricot lemonade cosmos as well! I really like them. I will be growing them again next year. I have considered growing statice so good to know the bees like it! Sounds like you have a beautiful garden :)

It's always fun to read your blogs. I have had a "cut flower garden" in my backyard for years and really enjoy experimenting. I like things that reseed so it eventually gets a "wild look". Some flowers I've had good luck with: black-eyed susans will reseed every year and they bloom late in the summer/fall so that's good. There are many exotic varieties so I have bought those in pots but haven't tried growing them from seed. Bachelor buttons were always growing in my Mom's garden and they are a nice blue color, but they have pretty weak stems. This year I grew "apricot lemonade" cosmos (seeds from Burpee catalog) and I LOVED the color. I started with a six pack of Shasta Daisies and they tried to take over the whole bed. Several times I have potted up 30-40 plants and given them away and they are still going strong. Very pretty but they only bloom for a short time. This last year I added Statice and Scabiosa and the bees LOVED it. Last but not least I got a plant of Lemon Verbena from a nursery awhile ago to use it in potpourri and I've been using it as greenery in bouquets and people really like the smell. Thanks again!