How to Create a Butterfly Garden
by
Three Dogs in a Garden
(IC: blogger)
Tips and plant recommendations for creating the perfect butterfly garden.
I always think of mid-summer as the butterfly time. As if by magic, butterflies make an appearance and float amongst the flowers.
I often discover them feeding on the hydrangea standard near the front door or alighting on the crazy looking mopheads of the Bee Balm on the opposite side of the flagstone walkway. In the backyard, its the late-summer Joe Pye Weed and Phlox that seem to really draw them to the garden.
A meadow-style planting, like this one at the entrance to the Toronto Botanical Garden, is a terrific magnet for butterflies.
The densely packed borders on either side of the path offer such abundant sources of nectar you can always find butterflies flitting from flower to flower.
If, like me, you want to attract more butterflies to your garden this summer, here is some information to help get you started.
Creating your own Butterfly Garden:
Adult butterflies are attracted to yellow, orange, pink, purple and red flowers.
Butterflies prefer to feed in the sun, so locate your butterfly garden accordingly.
Butterflies prefer to lay eggs on specific "host" plants, so again, do your research and plant accordingly. Black Swallowtails, for instance, like parsley, dill, fennel and common rue. Monarchs like milkweed. I found a very comprehensive list of a caterpillar's favourite foods here ( link in my blog post).
Male butterflies often congregate around mud puddles, where they find the salt and minerals needed for successful mating. Create a homemade mud puddle using an old saucer from a plant pot and some moist sand. Find out more details in this article, or if you prefer, this video (links in my blog post).
If you want to attract butterflies toy your garden, here are a few plants you might want to consider:
This photo shows a mix of 3 plants that butterflies love: Beebalm, Monarda fistulosa+ Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia + Verbena bonariensis.
Phlox attract butterflies and are indispensable sources of color in the late-summer garden.
A few of the many varieties of Phlox available: Top left: Phlox paniculate,'Becky Towe' Top Right: Phlox paniculate, 'Laura' Bottom left: Phlox paniculate, 'Peppermint Twist' Bottom Right: Phlox paniculate, 'Light Pink Flame'
To see a more complete list of plant recommendations, please visit my blog.
Enjoyed the project?
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published March 12th, 2016 10:00 AM
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3 of 41 comments
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Barbara Crofts on Apr 04, 2016I also love Butterflies and have dozens of Monarchs which have eaten all of my Swan Plants but after reading this Im going to do a Butterfly garden. Love your post.
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Three Dogs in a Garden on Apr 05, 2016@Barbara Crofts Thanks Barbara! I am glad you found the post inspiring. Happy gardening this spring!
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Kathie Rains on Jul 28, 2017
I would also add annuals especially tall zinnias. They grow easily and quickly from seed sown directly into the garden. Butterflies tend to like flat flowers they can land on. Many seed companies sell separate colors zinnia seed.
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