While your garden may already be home to the occasional butterfly, there are many things you can do to increase the number of colorful friends flittering around your plants and yard. Whether you want to establish a full-fledged butterfly garden or simply add a few new plants and fixtures to your existing beds, these helpful hints will get you started.
Get the Kids Involved!
Teaching your children about nature is important, so make sure to combine the beauty of your butterfly garden with a learning experience. Explain the lifecycle of a butterfly and how they begin as caterpillars; your children can keep a journal of the process in order to monitor cocoons and keep track of how many butterflies live in their garden. For a handy printout of butterfly metamorphosis, visit Enchanted Learning.
Find the Right Plants
Not only is it important to invest in plants that provide food for adults; you will also need hearty plants that provide an ideal shelter for caterpillars to transform. Hostas, hydrangeas, fennel, nasturtium, and ferns are perfect for inviting caterpillars, and have the added bonus of standing up very well in Alabama weather.
Unlike hummingbirds that are drawn to tubular flowers, butterflies like delicate, feathery flowers that provide easy access to pollen and nectar during spring, summer, and fall. Some good examples of these types of flowers are lavender, gayfeather, black-eyed Susan, violets, mums lilac, bee balm, echinacea, and many more. Visit Southern Homes and Gardens, or The Garden Helper or talk to someone at a nursery near you to find out what plant options will work best in your yard.
Keep it Natural
You should avoid using any types of pesticides in your butterfly garden. Read more about organic fertilizers and pesticides to learn how you can keep your garden and its new butterfly friends coming back year after year.
Finishing Touches
Be sure to establish your plants in an area that receives lots of sunshine but doesn’t feel the effects of too much wind. Once you’ve placed your butterfly-friendly plants, you’re just a few steps away from completion. Setting out water in a birdbath or a terra cotta plant dish is very important, as butterflies need access to water. Be sure to change out the water regularly to avoid the standing water that attracts mosquitoes and other pests. Don’t be afraid to let weeds like dandelions and milkweed grow around your garden; they are friends of butterflies and are harmless to your yard.
Be Patient
Once you’ve covered all your bases, get ready to wait a few weeks before the butterflies begin to arrive. Watch for cocoons on the underside of your plant leaves and be patient – they’re sure to show up in no time!
