Butterfly gardens are a great way to attract butterflies into your garden. However, they do require some planning and knowledge of what attracts butterflies, as butterflies are not attracted to every flower. This article will help you learn a little about the needs of butterflies so that you can create a successful butterfly garden.

Butterflies will begin to lay their eggs in late spring, so begin an early spring planting on butterfly attracting plants with bright colors and strong scents. Remember, butterflies are seasonal and migratory.

Butterfly season typically begins as soon as the temperature in an area reaches around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and ends when it begins to cool to lower temperatures in the fall. So be sure to plant a variety of different brightly colored butterfly attracting plants early, so that there is a continuous food supply for both adults and larvae during the season.

White or lighter colored plants do not attract as many butterflies as brighter, deeper colored plants, so make sure to plant sources which are brightly colored if you want lots of butterflies.

Host plants are where butterflies lay their eggs and where they begin as larva (or caterpillars) and should always be planted in a part sun/part shaded undisturbed area so that eggs and larvae (caterpillars) are protected.

Always be sure to plant more host plants than nectar plants because host plants are consumed quite rapidly. Remember, host plants are not for beautification, they are fuel/food for the caterpillars. Do not plant host plants near other plants which you may want to harvest or enjoy in the future, as they will most likely be completely consumed by your caterpillars.

Nectar plants are what adult butterflies feed on and should always be planted in warm sunny areas where there is a wind break (something blocking the wind). Tall nectar plants will attract larger butterflies, shorter nectar plants will attract smaller butterflies.

Be sure to create natural undisturbed areas. Avoid insecticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.

Use groundcovers rather than grass. Butterflies are far more attracted to small flowering, colorful groundcovers than they are to a tidy grass lawn. Plus, groundcovers are often prettier and easier to maintain. So, use groundcovers rather than grass whenever possible.

Be sure to deadhead plants to encourage new growth and more blossoming, because more blossoms mean more nectar and more nectar means more food for the butterflies.

Butterflies also need water and mineral nutrients. Be sure to provide shallow puddles rich with gravel, rocks and clay, as well bowls of water rich fruit (such as melons) in a warm sunny location in order to provide water and minerals they need.

When creating a butterfly habitat, there are also some things you should not do. If you want to create a successful butterfly garden, make sure to not do these things:

Do not put caterpillars in a glass or plastic container. This is a good way to cook caterpillars and butterflies--NOT a good way to raise them. Never ever put your caterpillar in direct sunlight. Butterflies may love sunlight, but caterpillars do not. They prefer shade. Remember, naturally, they would live underneath leaves to stay hidden from predators and the sun's hot rays.

Don't feed your caterpillar dried or old food. Caterpillars do not drink and so they get all of their fluids from their host plants. As soon as food from the host plants are picked, it starts drying out, which means it is losing moisture that the caterpillar needs. So, it is always best to put caterpillars on live fresh growing plants when possible. Not to mention, it is more natural.

Do not poke at the caterpillar. Though it might be fun to show off your caterpillar, caterpillars should be handled as little as possible, because touching gives the signal to a caterpillar that you are a predator.

I see this happen often with children, though not so much with adults. Right before your caterpillar goes into its Chrysalis stage, it can seem lifeless or even dead. I have seen people poke their caterpillars to see if they are still alive. Never ever do this.

Caterpillars live under leaves and prefer to be left alone and undisturbed so they can go about their business. If handled too much, it can even mess up its life cycle.

Never release a butterfly where it will not find its appropriate nectar plants. Butterflies need food and they do not feed on host plants, they feed on nectar plants. The plants do not need to be in your yard, but they should be close so that the butterfly does not have to look far to find them. Remember, if you do not provide the proper food, it is like putting a human out in the middle of a desert wasteland, butterflies need food and water too.

Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory/

About The Author:  Butterfly Garden News find more info on butterflies and gardening click here Butterfly Garden News David McKinley created this Website to reveal the secrets of nature and natural living.

THIS ARTICLE is Free for reprint only if it remains unchanged and in its entirety, the Author's Resource Box AND our Article Source Credit URL are included, and ALL links are made active.

Print Article Add to Favorites Email to Friends Publish Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated