Gardening For Butterflies

Butterfly gardening is a favorite hobby among many people. It can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. You can put it in a window box, a space in your garden, or a relatively uncultivated spot in your back yard. After assessing what kind of garden you want to create, you need to find out which butterflies are native to your part of the country. You also need to find out what kind of plants will attract those particular breeds of butterfly. The final question might be related to how much time and money you want to spend on your garden.

It's important to make sure your garden will have plenty of sunshine, some shady areas, rocks where butterflies can warm themselves, and will be protected from the wind. The kinds of plants to use are brightly colored flowers, such as pink, purple, red, or yellow. The plants should also be of two types--those that are nectar plants and those that are larvae plants. Chemical herbicides or pesticides should not be used on any of the butterfly plants or on the neighboring garden plants or lawn.

It is good to put your plants of one kind in clusters, as this will be more attractive to the butterflies than single plants. But plants where butterflies will lay their eggs are best planted in singles. Keep a moist area nearby so that the butterflies can puddle. They do this to acquire the salt they need.

After carefully planning your garden, sit back and enjoy watching these beautiful creatures as they visit your garden.