pepperhead212
Master Chef
Yes, I've heard all that stuff, especially about the nasturtiums, and actually tried those, but not really worth it. The reason I grow these is that they attract pollinators. The Mexican sunflowers attracted more butterflies than any other plants I've grown, but they are sort of "messy" plants, in that the flowers only last a week or so, and have to be cleaned off the plants, or they'll stop flowering, like a lot of plants. But they keep growing and flowering, if taken care of, all the way until frost. The zinnias keep the flowers for a long time, and keep flowering, most of them until frost. I keep a few of each of these in my front "flowerbed", which is also a pepper and okra bed, for the most part. 
Here's a photo of one of those Mexican Sunflowers, with one of the butterflies on it.
Another Mexican Sunflower, with a butterfly I often see on them, but not on zinnias or other flowers around the garden. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Here's a photo of one of those Mexican Sunflowers, with one of the butterflies on it.

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