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Enjoying the beauty of butterflies can be possible by creating your own butterfly garden right in your backyard. Setting up a garden is fun and easy, but will require a little bit of planning on your part. You do not need to be a master gardener to create a wonderful habitat for the many different varieties of butterflies.
You can attract particular butterflies by choosing to plant their favorite flowers, or just choose a mix for a variety of butterflies. Butterflies feed on sweet liquids like nectar from flowers, but you can also attract butterflies with rotting fruit (melons and apples) placed in trays among the plants.
Your garden must include plants that will provide food for caterpillars as well as adult butterflies to allow for the females to frequent your garden in search of adequate sites to lay their eggs. Female butterflies will search out specific plants to lay their eggs on so that when the caterpillars emerge, they will have a food source readily available. This will also let you observe the life cycle of butterflies and can be very educational for children.
The actual habitat you create must offer shelter from strong winds, have sunny areas for basking, and continuous moisture patches. Moisture in the form of mud puddles or damp sand will allow the butterflies to drink and consume necessary minerals that are dissolved in the water. Always be very careful when using pesticides, as many poisons can kill caterpillars and contaminate flowers and their nectar.
When planning your garden, try to plant flowers that bloom at slightly different times to allow for a continuous visitation from butterflies throughout the summer. There are a variety of plants that grow in different regions, so it’s important that you check with your nursery or gardening books to find out which plants will grow in your area. You can also search internet sites for this information. Keep in mind that a lot of plants that are favored by butterflies are considered weeds, such as dandelions and thistles, but if you don’t mind these “weeds”, you’ll benefit from their presence.
Butterflies can be seen usually during the months of April through November, but of course this varies by species and area. Some common plants that are favored include chokecherry, willow, cottonwood, dill, parsley, fennel, milkweed, aspen, clover, pansy, sunflowers, asters, lilac, marigold and hollyhock. Of course, there are many more plants that can be used, so choose the best plants for your area and select a nice variety to get the most butterflies to visit your garden.
By planting a butterfly garden, you not only create a habitat for the butterflies, but you will have an enjoyable and beautiful landscape. If you live in a dry climate with little rainfall, it is probably a good idea to try to find drought tolerant or resistant plants to keep watering to a minimum, both to conserve water resources and lower your water bill. Sometimes is you are still and quiet, butterflies will settle on your outstretched arms, but be very careful not to harm them by handling them. The butterflies will fly off by themselves when they are ready and, since they are very delicate, it is best to never handle them, especially their wings. Your new garden will give you and your butterfly visitor’s hours of peaceful enjoyment.
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