What
is it about butterflies that conjure up smiles and peaceful, happy
thoughts? They are beautiful, like
natures living artwork. They are also
one of the few insects that don’t bite, sting, or otherwise make you scream in
horror if they land on you! We are so
fascinated by them that we even decorate our homes and gardens with images of
them. Increased awareness of these
creatures has even spawned a butterfly fad in gardening today. Folks want to watch the real thing flitting
about the yard instead of admiring them in a display case as in the past. It seems everyone wants to know the secret of
successfully attracting, keeping and identifying these interesting insects.
With
people leaning toward more organic gardening practices and natural, informal
flower beds, it has never been easier to attract butterflies, and even give
them permanent homes. Consequently, if
one has a perfectly manicured, formal and chemically dependent yard, they won’t
have much success in this endeavor. You
also do not have to have a large lot or acreage to host butterflies. They do need the warmth of the sun to fly and
locate food sources, with a few trees and shrubs, possibly along the edges of
your property, to take shelter when the weather is bad. If you live in a wooded, shady area, this may
not be possible for you.
Which
flowers are butterflies attracted to?
Most of them! If you are lucky,
you will see hummingbirds as well, since they are fond of some of the same
ones. They are attracted to bright,
vibrant colors, purple and yellow being butterfly favorites. Use whites and pale pastels as garden accents
instead of the dominant color. They need
tubular-shaped or daisy-like blooms and flat-topped flower clusters. Use single instead of double-flowered
varieties. Some examples would include
coneflowers, bee balm, rudbeckia, asters, scabiosa, sedums, liatris, alyssum,
nasturtium, zinnia, many flowering vines and, of course, butterfly bush. Their preferred plant list is way too
numerous to mention here, you may want to purchase books or magazines
referencing butterfly gardening. Most
flowers and seeds labeled as “wildflowers” are usually good choices for nectar
sources, as well as larval food. Include
shallow puddles of water in your garden for them to drink. Saucers with stones for perches and a small
amount of water in the bottom can serve as watering holes.
A
successful butterfly garden will always include larval food sources as well, a
“nursery” of sorts. Mature females will
need certain plants to lay their eggs on, and these will serve as food for the
larvae when they hatch. If possible,
leave a natural area on your property, sow some wildflower seed, and let some
weeds (gasp!) grow there as well. Some
species are particularly fond of nettle, milkweed, black-eyed susan
(rudbeckia), clover, thistle, native grasses, willow trees and queen anne’s
lace, to name a few. Butterfly larvae
also feed upon many herbs such as parsley, fennel, rosemary and dill. Plant some for yourself in the kitchen for
your own use and some in the garden for the little guys to feast upon. Remember not to reach for the insecticidal
soap if you spot caterpillars eating your plants until you have identified
them.
Butterfly
gardening is easier than you think and can even be done in small spaces and
container gardening with enough sun.
Think more of a colorful perennial cottage garden and a less formal
pruned, “row of soldiers” look in your yard.
Planting the things they like best and a more natural appearance will actually
make less work trimming, weeding, spraying and deadheading for you! This also results in the natural balance of
beneficial insects to return to your garden.
Have
fun with in your garden! Kick back in
your lawn chair, grab your binoculars and camera and “catch” a few
butterflies. If you are lucky, one may
even land on you for a minute! Good
luck!
Happiness
is like a butterfly. The more you chase
it, the more it will elude you. But if
you turn your attention to other things, it comes softly and sits on your
shoulder.
Durham
Garden Center