I posted this in response to a discussion on parsley and dill, but I think it's so important that I would like to share this here.
A couple of friends have had upsetting experiences with parsley they bought. A couple of plants were bought at a big box store's nursery, and the other friend got hers from a produce vendor. In both cases, the swallowtails caterpillars that transferred over to the new plants (as they had just about eaten up the other parsley), died before the end of the day. So be careful, and buy your plants only from a reliable nursery. What is also disturbing is that parsley (and I assume all the other herbs) had obviously been sprayed, and are being sold for humans to eat. it appears that the stores have no control, or don't have any idea if the plants were sprayed. I will only buy my plants from a certain nursery as I know the plants are safe, or grow my own from seed. More than likely even the flowering plants have probably been sprayed. If this is happening all over, no wonder there is a decline in butterflies and bees.
