Love the vibrant colors of these delightful creatures? You can have dozens of butterflies fluttering in your yard all day by planting the kind of garden they love to visit. Start by…
* Picking the perfect spot. It doesn’t matter if your garden is a small window box or a large space so long as it’s a sunny spot that’s sheltered from the wind by, say, a bush or fence.
* Choosing plants for each stage of their life. Caterpillars like to munch on milkweeds, nettles, violets and passion vines while adult butterflies enjoy drinking the nectar of butterfly bush, marigolds, zinnias and daisies. Tip: A wider variety of plants attracts a wider variety of butterflies.
* Making a butterfly lounge. Butterflies love to bask in the sun after eating, so give them a place to digest, such as a paving stone or brick.
*Adding a miniature pond. Butterflies sip water from small puddles, which you can simulate with a saucer or small plastic container. Drop in a branch or rock to give them and easy place to land.
[photo: aussiegall]
