Even if it Means Less

I see a black swallowtail in the garden. By the two rows of spots and the fast wings beating (females have one row of spots, apparently, and they beat their wings slowly), I know it's a male.

And I know what he wants: the purple buddleja flowers. We grow light purple and dark purple, and I'm learning that butterflies and hummingbirds simply can't resist them.

But why? And why do they stay so long on these particular flowers?

I discover that this unique flower has one of the highest levels of sucrose in the nectar compared to other garden flowers. The butterflies go after quality. And they stay so long on this plant because it actually doesn't produce much nectar. Fascinating. A butterfly will go for less nectar of higher quality than tons of nectar of low quality.  He'll risk capture. He'll risk death.

He knows he's got the best, and he simply won't compromise.

I want to be both the buddleja and the butterfly. I want to give my best, even if that means less. And I want to go after the best, even if it means a longer journey with less. 

Even if it means less.

Living with flair means we aren't seduced by bigger and more. We produce less but better. We feed on better but less.

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Did you know that about buddleja? I didn't!