Things You'll Need:
- sunny spot in the yard
- humus and organic planting material
- shovels
- plants
- large stone
- extra large ceramic platter
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Step 1
Location...Try to find a spot in the yard that gets at least 8 hours of sunlight a day. Butterflies like to warm their bodies in the sun. Sunlight is also important to the type of plants that you will grow.
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Step 2
Preparation...Clear the area of grass and supplement the soil with humus and organic material. The richer the soil the better your plants will grow. Make sure that the area is near a water source so that you can water the new plants easily. Avoid pesticides in your butterfly garden as they will kill the butterflies.
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Step 3
Plant choices ... The most obvious choice is a Butterfly Bush! They come in various colors and will grow very large within a short time. Also include sunflowers, Shasta daisies, coneflower, yarrow, aster, sweet William, marigolds, zinnia, lavender, black-eyed Susan and sedum. This collection of plants will provide flowers all season long and into the fall in zone 6. Butterflies are attracted to bright colors and sweet scents.
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Step 4
Water and Rocks ... Use the large ceramic platter as a watering spot for the butterflies. A large rock or other item that they can sit on and warm their wings in also a good choice for their garden.
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Step 5
Kids ...P lace a child size bench or chairs next to the butterfly garden. Include a bucket with a magnifying glass and create a field guide of all the different butterflies that may visit the garden. Purchase a butterfly house kit at the local craft store and have your kids paint and decorate it. Add it to the garden on a stake for the butterflies to lay their eggs in.
