Butterfly Garden Basics

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Butterfly Garden Basics
by Deborah Shelton

Cultivating a special home in your yard for butterflies
will introduce your children to a world of beauty and
wonder. It's a project that you and your family will enjoy
in the planting stages, and long after. There are five
basic things to remember when planning a butterfly garden:

1. Butterflies love sunlight! Whether you choose to plant a
traditional garden or a container garden, make sure that
the plants are in direct sunlight for much of the day.

2. Butterflies like to "puddle." Your garden needs a sort
of watering hole for the butterflies to drink from. This
can be done by simply filling a terra cotta pot or small
plastic bucket with small rocks or pebbles about two inches
from the brim. Add water to fill the remaining space. Place
the puddle in the center of your garden.

3. Butterflies like lots of color! Group clusters of the
same plant together to make them easier for butterflies to
see. A group of colorful flowers attracts them easier than
single flowers.

4. Butterflies love to eat nectar. Use several of these
nectar-producing plants to attract them: milkweed, azalea,
goldenrod, black-eyed susan, zinnia, aster, phlox, Japanese
honeysuckle, ironweed. A few nectar-producing shrubs are:
butterfly bush, various fruit trees, privet, lilac and
redbud.

5. Butterflies need a place to lay their eggs. Witness the
entire lifecycle of your new garden friend! Provide host
plants where female butterflies can lay their eggs. Some
host plants include: snapdragon, violets, milkweed,
daisies, parsley, dill, Queen Anne's Lace, aster and
clovers.