It seems so easy. Just sprinkle the large container on the ground, water and you'll have an instant butterfly garden. The truth is that you're wasting your money.

Lorraine Brooks, from the University of Washington, did a study of wildflower mixes and said, "I can't recommend using any wildflower seed mixes."

One third of the packets listed no contents and another third had inaccurate lists. In many cases, you're left in the dark as to what you're really getting and in most cases you're getting weeds or invasive species you don't  want.

Another problem with mixes is that they contain mainly annuals, which may look fine the first year, but next year you'll be right back at the store, buying another box of the same.

They generally don't contain host plants, so the butterflies will go elsewhere when it's time to lay their eggs.

My suggestion is to pick and choose the varieties you want and order them from a catalog or your local store.

A "one size fits all" just isn't true in life or when it comes to a butterfly mix.