Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden

Attract Wildlife To Your Backyard

Experience the joy of butterflies in your garden

Cultivating a special home for butterflies in your garden will not only be a fun family project, but you will enjoy watching these magnificent insects for many years to come. There are basic things to remember when planning and implementing a butterfly garden:

Attract Butterflies with Food:

• Plant Nectar-producing Flowers and Bushes: Butterflies love 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.
  
  
  • Butterflies are attracted to color. Group clusters of the same plant together to make them more visible to the butterflies. A group of colorful flowers attracts butterflies more than single flowers.
  
  
  
  • Butterflies love sunlight: Make sure that the butterfly-attracting plants are exposed to direct sunlight for much of the day.

• Provide a Butterfly Feeder:
  
  
  • Butterfly Feeders & Food
  
  
  
  • Cut up / mash favorite fruits, such as bananas, watermelon or apples. Change the fruit every day or two to keep the display presentable, although the butterflies won't mind rotting foodl. Butterflies, such as Swallowtails, Painted Ladies and Fritillaries (featured above), are the most likely to visit a fruit station such as this.

Butterflies are drawn to water:

Butterfly-friendly gardens need a shallow watering hole for the butterflies to drink from. Place it in an area close to the butterfly-attracting plants / flowerbed.

• Fill 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.



• Recycle an old Frisbee. Add marbles or rocks to the bottom for weight and landing pads (or a flat stone, a brick, or something organic and heavy that you have handy).



• Sink a broken cup into the ground or into a large pot of plants on your deck or balcony. Cut up a sponge to fit into the cup or stuff in a well-rinsed net shower scrubber. Keep the cup filled with water.



• Fill an old pizza or jelly roll pan with water to provide a shallow puddle on a sunny day. Line the pan with a cotton tea towel or paper towels.



• Sink a large plate, an old baking dish or a shallow ceramic bowl into the ground and fill it with sand. Wet the sand thoroughly and make sure it stays constantly damp.

Provide Butterflies a Place for their Eggs:

• Female butterflies need host plants on which they can lay their eggs. Some host plants include: Asters, Clovers, Daisies, Dill, Snapdragon, Milkweed, Parsley, Wild Carrot aka Queen Anne's Lace, and Violets. (pictured below).

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Butterfly Feeders & Food:

Deep Blue Poppy Glass Hummingbird, Butterfly and Oriole Feeder with Wrought Iron Product Features Elegant styled feeder that will add beauty to your garden Made of hand-blown glass by skilled artisans Includes flower and wrought iron stand Great for hummingbirds, butterflies and orioles as well Will be the attention getter in your garden Product Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 24 inches ; 5 pounds
Deep Red and White Hand Blown Glass Hummingbird/Butterfly Feeder with Wrought Iron Garden Stake Product Features Made of and blown glass by skilled artisans No two flowers look exactly the same Comes with a hand forged wrought iron garden stake Can also be used as a butterfly feeder Beautiful and elegant detail This uniquely hand blown glass hummingbird and or butterfly feeder comes with a wrought iron garden stake. The deep red and white color is vibrant and beautiful and will look great in any garden setting. The glass feeder gently slips into 2 slots made for the feeder and will entice your hummingbirds as well as your butterflies to feed from it. Place the feeder into a flower bed that will automatically attract these birds and butterflies.
Illuminarie Butterfly Feeder - Red Attract Some Beautiful Guests with this Butterfly Feeder Absorbs Solar Energy Emitting Glow at Dusk Made of Glass 3 X 4.25 X 25.25 " d			Butterfly Feeder Colorful butterfly feeder Mix together some nectar (easy recipe included) Watch butterflies drink from the colorful flowery wicks Entomologist approved Complete instructions included
Illuminarie Butterfly Feeder - Pink Product Features Delicate pink flower adds beauty and function to your garden Hand-crafted glass flower holds water, drawing butterflies At dusk, luminescent crystals in the glass emit a magical green glow for up to 4 hrs. Wrought-iron stem features a durable, weather-resistant powder-coat finish 25.25Hx4.25Wx3D"
Butterfly Feeder
Classic Butterfly Feeder Product Features Plastic construction with a metal hook for hanging. Fill with nectar and place banana slices in the tray. Dishwasher safe.
Classic Butterfly Feeder Technical Details Copper plated aluminum, metal cable. Copper finish, metal decorative birds on each side, and heavy cable for hanging. Bird of paradise decorative fly thru bird feeder.
Butterfly Feeder/Nectar Combo Product Features Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available. Design is stylish and innovative. Satisfaction Ensured. Great Gift Idea.
Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard: Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beauty on the Wing (A Rodale Organic Gardening Book) by Sally Roth (Paperback - Oct 24, 2002)

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