How to Choose Butterfly Garden Plants for Your Yard
Butterflies are a beautiful summer sight, especially for children. Depending on where you live, you may see many varieties of butterflies or you may see almost none. The good news is that if you would like to attract butterflies to your yard you can do so by incorporating butterfly garden plants into your landscape. There are many flowers and bushes that butterflies love that can be obtained from your local nursery or ordered online. With a bit of planning and planting, you can have your own butterfly habitat and enjoy these lovely insects throughout the summer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Before choosing what variety of butterfly garden plants to buy, you need to evaluate a few characteristics of the areas available for planting. Do you have one area to devote to a butterfly garden or would you simply like to sprinkle some butterfly-attracting plants around your yard? To get the most out of your butterfly garden, you will want to choose a space which you can see either from a window or from your patio or deck.
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Once you have identified locations, you need to make a list of the soil and lighting conditions as these will greatly affect your plant options. Most butterfly-attracting plants are sun-lovers, so your best luck will be had with sunny areas of your yard. After you have determined the soil and light conditions where your plants will go, you can begin designing the space. Again, you will have the best luck attracting butterflies if you can group a few plants together in one area.
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If you do not have your own plant or gardening book, you can identify butterfly-attracting plants with some quick online research or by borrowing a book from your local library. Catalogs from online nurseries like Michigan Bulb Company are also a great resource. You can order a free catalog from their website. Additionally, you can visit your local garden center or nursery and ask for some guidance in plant choice. Some common butterfly garden plants are butterfly bush, salvia, marigolds, milkweed and purple coneflowers.
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In designing your garden, not only should you select certain species of plants based on their compatibility with the soil and lighting characteristics you have identified, but you will also want to consider bloom times. Some flowers only bloom for a few weeks in the spring while others may bloom in the late summer. You will want to choose a mixture of butterfly garden plants that will result in some blooming throughout the spring and summer. You will also have a choice between planting perennials which will grow back every year or annuals which will need to be replaced the following season.
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Now that you have your butterfly garden plants selected, it's time to start planting. Try to intermingle the plants based on their bloom times and be sure to water the plants well for the first week. After that, there is not much more to do but sit back and enjoy the view. If you have children, consider buying or borrowing (from the library) a butterfly identification guide to keep track of the various butterfly species that stop by to visit.
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Tips & Warnings
When planting perennials, space them out well.
If you like monarch butterflies, plant milkweed.
Do not use pesticides on your butterfly-attracting plants.
