Need some info on some plants please

[Minnie824]

I posted this on the flower and garden forum as well, but I thought I could get some responses here.

I'm not really that familiar with most plants/trees/flowers, etc. (I'm not really an outdoor person, unless its cold out). Anyway, we're getting some things done in our backyard, and they came back with some suggestions to plant. Can you please tell me anything you know about the following, are they scented, attract bees, easy to care for, recommend them or not. Thanks for any info!

1) butterfly bush
2) endless summer hydrangea
3) says '1 gal cat mint'
4) 1 gal iris

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I love Butterfly bush. It is best planted as a mutiple and not a single plant.
I would call it a "backyard" plant unless you have very large rustic type front landscaping. It does tend to get big and needs space. Easy to care for. It dies back in the winter (cold climates) and you trim every spring.

I like Hydrangeas, but I do not know about "endless summer". Good focal plants.

Mint? Is this a touch garden you are making? I love herbs but have sinced planted them where they can be contained, such as a planter. Or I would make sure they have a barrier of some type around it. Mint can get wild. (Ask me how I know)

Iris are nice. They bloom once a year. It is a "backdrop" plant and not a focal plant for the season. Usually planted several together for effect. Mainly they are planted up against fences, walls, or in a bed that will have something coming right behind it in growth.

 

[NMAmy]

We bought a house about a year ago with really well-established landscaping. I have to say I love the woman who owned the house before us--I knew nothing about gardening when I started and every plant in my yard on which I look up information is marked as "easy care." Just my kind of garden!

I love our butterfly bush--it really attracts the most beautiful butterflies but also quite a few bees. Mine is right outside my kitchen window so I can watch the butterflies while I do the dishes and yet it's not too close to the deck so we don't have to worry about the bees.

Hydrangeas are beautiful--very dramatic. I'm thinking of getting some for our yard.

We have many different varieties of irises--pretty but the flowers don't seem to last too long.

I've added a bunch of spring bulbs--I just love all that color after a dreary winter. Believe me, if I can plant them, anybody can!

I've really never been an outdoor person myself but I've really come to enjoy puttering around in our garden. You might really surprise yourself and like it.

 

[bananiem]

Endless Summer hydrangeas are a relatively new kind. Depending on the acidity (or not) of your soil they will bloom either blue or bright pink. My sister and neighbor have them and they are beautiful.
Catmint- I have some. It grows a bunch (poof!) over the summer and has stalks of little bluish purplish flowers on it and the hummingbirds love it and so do the bees.
The iris is tricky in that there are a kabillion different ones. They're all pretty hardy and it's another flower I really like. They need to be divided every few years or they stop blooming.
It sounds like a nice garden!