How do I make a garden especially for butterflies and hummingbirds? ?
I am pretty much home-bound now due to an unfortunate back issue, and most of my day is spent looking outdoors at the wooded area around our house. I would love to have a flower garden where butterflies and hummingbirds gather nectar. How wonderful to watch them each day! I live in southeast Texas, and I have an area that is well-drained with good soil. What flowers should I plant that will do well here, and how will I manage to water them on very hot days without having to stand with the garden hose for a long time? We have tried soaker hoses, but they just don't seem to do a good job. I will have to hire someone to plant the flowers, but I want perennials that are long blooming, and maybe some annuals that will be prolific bloomers. How can I accomplish this on a retirement-pension budget?
Butterflies love my liatris. Don’t know if it will grow in your climate. I am in Michigan
A friend of mine has put in several humming bird feeders, blue bird houses and an owl house.... her yard is like a bird aviary. She's had 3 sets of babies this year...she feeds them mealy worms and it is an amazing sanctuary!
Somebody just told me milkweed attracts butterflies by the droves....in fact, I have heard they have asked farmers to plant it so that we can bring back Monarch butterflies again.
Where are you located? Which zone? State? Send me a pic of the area and I will do a virtual concept sketch of the site for you to have someone install for you.
Plants to consider:
Butterfly Bush
Rudbeckia
Asclepias or Butterfly weed
Milkweed
Lantana
Zinnia
Gazania
Sage - pineapple, raspberry, Russian, Mexican bush, black and blue
Roses - Drift and Knockout
Canna Llies
Asiatic Lilies
Day Lilies
Dwarf Crape Myrtle
Abelia
Ajuga
Guara
There’s more... tons actually!! Send me a pic!