Flowers in General Flowers in General 1. Flowers keep proving they have more than aesthetic value. Since landscapers for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation began beautifying highway tourist information centers and rest areas with flower beds, frequent vandalism at the centers nearly has ceased. Though recently launched landscape projects were not intended to protect the sites, their surprise benefit stands to reason.
Vandals tend to trash the cold, impersonal buildings.
If you prefer, you can start butterfly weed in the spring. Follow the same procedures as for fall sowing. Butterfly weed requires winter cold to bloom, so spring-sown plants will not bloom their first summer. However, the long summer days will allow the seedlings to grow into large plants which will produce many blooms the following year.