How To Garden For Butterflies

To garden for butterflies you need to have knowledge of the local butterfly fauna. Another important thing to remember is that butterfly gardens are best planted in the Spring with younger plants. You can also wait until fall and plant with mature plants that will become dormant quickly and re-emerge in Spring. There is more than one nectar source, and the more variety you have, the more butterfly visits your garden will receive. The adult butterflies need nectar-producing plants for their energy supply. Host plants are another important ingredient for your garden. Butterflies need a place to lay their eggs, so make sure there is an adequate amount of host plants. The eggs will successfully hatch and result in butterflies that will continue to visit.

Depending on what the climate is in your area, some butterfly attracting plants include purple cone flowers (echinacea purpurea), yellow cone flowers, sunflowers, marigolds, poppies, cosmos, salvias, some lilies, asters, coreopsis, daisies, verbenas, milkweed, butterfly bush and zinnias. There are more, but again, depending on the climate, some of these may not grow well in your area. Although, with the large variety of attracting plants you should be able to grow enough to enjoy the butterflies that will visit your garden.

Pick a sunny spot for your butterfly garden; nectar-producing plants need full sun for the most part. You'll need to deadhead plants often to encourage rebloom, and avoid using pesticides. Add two or three steppingstones so the butterflies can warm up on cool mornings. They will need a water source more for the absorption of minerals and other nutrients than for drinking. Try filling a birdbath about three-quarters full of sand. Then add some compost to mix with the sand and add just enough water to make a muddle.

Last, but not least, buy yourself a hammock or lawn swing and enjoy the view.