4 Ways to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden
Attracting Butterflies
4 Ways to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden
If you would like to fill your garden with, and enjoy the beauty of butterflies, there are 4 simple steps to take. Flowers are most important and the more varied the type of flowers, the more varied the amount of butterflies you will attract.
At last count, there were more than 24,000 different types of butterflies worldwide. The size of a butterfly can range from about 1/8 of an inch to about 12 inches. Life for the butterfly begins as a caterpillar and surprisingly, you can even buy butterfly kits and start your own butterflies.
Create the type of garden butterflies will visit by:
1 - Planting the right flowers - Zinnias are considered butterfly magnets. They will provide a steady food supply of nectar that caters to butterflies. One popular zinnia for butterflies is known as "Profusion Orange." You can start attracting early on - by providing for caterpillars - with particular plants such as nettles, violets, passion vines and milkweed. Mature butterflies will enjoy daisies, marigolds, and as listed above, zinnias.
2 - Providing a resting place - As a child, how often I have noticed butterflies resting. It didn't occur to me at the time that they were, in fact, resting, but butterflies do like to relax and bask in the sun after enjoying a meal. Provide bricks or stones where they can rest and enjoy the warmth.
3 - Create a tiny pond - Butterflies need water and also like to rest after drinking water. A small pond can be as simple as providing a wide bowl or pan. Add a resting place here too such as a brick, stone or branch. Now the butterflies can enjoy water and rest as well.
4 Pick the right location - A sunny place is ideal provided that it is away from wind. Fencing or bushes can reduce the wind and provide shelter. This is where you can put stones for resting and warmth as well as a tiny pond, basin, bowl or pan.
For more information about butterfly gardening and creating a beautiful habitat please visit:
naba.org
For other ways to enjoy your garden please see the links below:
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