Landscaping

To attract beneficials to the garden this year and later, I wanted to have a butterfly-friendly flower bed nearby. Rex killed and rototilled the grass along the fence and I dug up the sprinklers from the fence and move them up about 2 feet. This was quite a feat because the pipes were intertwined with roots from a tree we'd cut down on the fenceline nearly 3 years ago. Then I lined the bed with a brick border. I transplanted a few plants and then bought a bunch of butterfly-friendly plants: Pentas, Butterfly Weed, Esperanzas, Salvia spires, and Lantana. After planting them, I laid weedblocker material and covered with mulch. I think all these plants will freeze to the ground during the winter and then come back from the roots in the spring. Below are pictures of the finished project:
Butterfly Weed

Red Penta

Pink Penta

Butterfly Flower Bed

The next shot isn't the new flowerbed, but I just had to include it because it is really going to town. Besides, it too attracts butterflies. Turk's Cap: