Create a Backyard Butterfly Garden

Creating a butterfly garden in your backyard provides a safe and welcoming place for butterflies to live and lay egg, as well as a peaceful and relaxing spot for us humans to enjoy their beauty.

To begin with, you’d want your home’s landscape design to feature a space that is inviting to butterflies, with plants that caterpillars can eat, food for the adult butterflies, and a good breeding area for them. You could also introduce a sheltered space that the butterflies can use on rainy days.

Shelter

Although butterflies prefer open areas with plenty of sun, you’ll probably need to provide them with some sort of windbreak to keep them safe from high winds.

The edges of mud puddles often attract butterflies. You’ve probably seen this before. There is no clear explanation for why butterflies like mud puddles so much, but some minerals may be present in the water. Keep some damp areas in your garden for them to bath and congregate.

Host Plants

In order for the caterpillars to hatch from their eggs, female butterflies need plants that they can eat. Monarch butterflies typically lay their eggs only on milkweed, while black swallowtail butterflies prefer dill and parsley. The female butterflies spend a lot of time searching for these plants.

Feed the Butterflies

Bell shaped flowers that hold a lot of nectar are especially attractive to adult butterflies. These flowers are usually brightly colored and have a sweet scent. To keep butterflies visiting your garden, you may want to choose flowers that bloom in sequence.

The following are most appealing to butterflies: Lilacs, verbena, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, sunflowers, thistles, bee balm, and sweet peas are just a few that make a great butterfly garden.

Keeping Butterflies Safe

Insecticides can kill caterpillars, and some insecticides can also kill adult butterflies if they land on plants that have been poisoned or if they drink nectar contaminated by poison. Always use chemical free insecticides and pesticides to ensure the butterflies remain safe.

Conclusion

There is no need to do a lot of extra work to create a Butterfly Garden. Simply keeping a small wet area for them and planting a few plants they will enjoy is often enough to attract a number of butterflies. Once the butterflies are in your garden, sit back, relax, and enjoy their beauty.