Add beauty and life to your garden with the inclusion of flowers and plants that attract butterflies. The steps involved in creating a Butterfly garden can be listed as:
• Research first. Find out which butterflies are common in your area. Observation over a few days and the use of a butterfly field guide will help you in this pursuit.
• Choose “Host Plants” for your garden. Note from your research what the caterpillar (larvae) of the local butterflies eat. Two excellent examples are: Milkweed – this attracts the Monarch caterpillar and Parsley – this attracts the Black Swallowtail caterpillar.
• Choose “Nectar Plants” for your garden. Nectar plants serve as the food source for the butterfly.
• Plan garden on paper. Draw up a plan, or decide where to add these suggestions to a current garden. Keep in mind the full grown size of plants during this planning stage. Also consider their needs for light and water.
• Purchase plants or seeds from garden center. You can also get these plants and seeds online. Choose robust and healthy plants to give them a good start.
• Plant your butterfly garden. Make sure to keep new plants and seeds watered until plants are well-established or seeds germinate. Keep the weeds at bay, to give the plants a good chance.
Observe and enjoy the butterfly activity in your garden.