A Butterfly Bush of My Own

While putting up my hummingbird feeder yesterday, I saw my neighbor. This is the one with the big butterfly bush in his yard, where I take my pictures. He offered me a bush of my own that happened to seed in his garden and he was going to get rid of.

With shovel in hand, I began to dig a hole in the back corner of my property. Three pavers, two ratchet attachments(don't get me started on the 'buried treasure' that the previous owner left in the yard) and a couple of roots later,  I had a nice sized hole.

I went over to my neighbor's garden and began to dig the four foot tall butterfly bush out. With my neighbor's help I got the root structure out without damaging his pumpkins or scallions. Luckily I had a forty pound bag of soil I had purchased for another project, so after filling the hole with water, placing the plant and putting down the soil, my butterfly bush was in it's new home.

While thanking my neighbor and shooting the breeze, three hummingbirds flew by. That must be some kind of good omen, right?

Today, the butterfly bush looks like it is wilting in the sun.  I watered and fed it with some schutz's fertilizer this morning and am sure it will pull through. The bush is the only feature in my otherwise featureless backyard. That is unless you consider the uneven ground and ankle busting gullies in my lawn features.

As I sit watching the butterfly bush being welcomed into it's new home by the hummingbirds, butterflies and other insects I realize it will not be alone in the back corner. I also realize Benjamin Franklin was wrong. Good neighbors make good neighbors, good fences make bad neighbors tolerable.