Butterfly Garden

Few things in nature are as beautiful or as delicate as the butterfly.  And if you love the gorgeous insects, why not plant a garden specifically for them?  Not only will you be adding beauty to your own life, but you could very well be saving the lives of the butterflies, providing them a friendly habitat in the cold, hard world.  

The first step is determining the butterflies native to your part of the country.  There are countless resources on the internet for such resource, or you could always do it the old fashioned way and take to the fields with your trusty butterfly guide and discover the info for yourself.  

When choosing the spot for your butterfly garden, pick an area with at least five or six hours of sunlight a day.  The butterflies need the sun for warmth.  However, make sure the garden is protected from wind, since the butterflies don't want to fight wind while trying to eat.  A few strategically flat stones will also give the butterflies a chance to rest.  

Butterflies will also need water.  A little mud puddle will do nicely, or you can even keep a bucket of moist sand around for them to suck out the moisture.  

Of course, the most important aspect of the garden is its plants.  Adult butterflies feed off nectar plants like aster, dandelion, dogbane, goldenrod, and marigold.  But you'll also need plants for the offspring, or caterpillars, to eat, like clover, daisy, hackberry, sunflower, and vetch.  Again, your location and the butterflies you want to attract will determine the right plants to use.