Pest-O, Change-O!

Back in the early Spring I bought a handful of seed packets with the hope that Winter would indeed end. In June I finally planted them. Except for the ones that needed planted in the fall. (Those I put away in a safe place that I can't currently remember or locate.) Under the sunflowers along the front fence I threw in a few hollyhock seeds and under the sunflowers in the back I threw in some butterfly weed seeds. The holly hocks have not amounted to a hill of beans. But the butterfly weed flourished. It said to thin them, but of course I didn't have the heart to pull out little perennials. I wasn't sure if they would bloom this year, but I was hopeful. I thought of transplanting several in the front bed. I imagined them full of bright orange flowers. I had visions of flocks of monarch butterflies stopping off here on their way from Canada to Mexico. They were starting to look like they were going to bloom. Yesterday they first flower opened. And it wasn't flat and orange. It was tall and tiny and white. Like it was 'going to seed'. I made a close inspection and discovered that the plants had a strong smell. A vaguely familiar herbaceous smell. And the slow realization that I must have planted basil seeds there and not butterfly weed at all. So the only butterflies I will attract this fall will be Italian tourist butterflies.
On the positive side, I have a good crop of basil and a recipe for pesto sauce.