BUDDLEIA

I have lovely dark purple buddleia with only a few butterflies on it. I pass a neglected garden up the road with the common, pale mauve buddleia which is covered with butterflies. I used to dislike this common pale one, though now I quite like it, which is why I have the dark one. I used to collect them, when I had a much bigger garden, and had just about all the variations, including the yellow round flowered sort, and the large flowered pink one but don't remember any significant difference in their attractiveness. So what I want to know is has anyone else noticed a difference, as I wonder whether it is just location which counts. I will just mention that I have heard that if you cut your  buddleias back after flowering at staggered weekly intervals they will then grow on and flower in succession which is obviously more advantageous for the insects as it will give a longer food source period. I usually forget to do this!

And while I am thinking about insects, I have seen many, many bumble bees on my Cardoons, and even found one dead, looking as if it had been skewered on of the hard pointed brachts which surround the thistle type flower, has anyone else seen this?

By the way, we have a new dog, it is called Coco.