How to Make a Butterfly Garden

One of the fun things about summer, is watching butterflies flit around.  My kids love it, too.  If you would like to have a lot of butterflies in your yard, it's fairly simple to create a garden that attracts them.  Here's how to do it:

1.  First, pick an area that gets plenty of sunlight, but at the same time is protected from the wind.  The area should be able to fit at least five nice-sized plants.  Make sure you have enough space for them to grow to maturity.

2.  Decide what plants you want to have.  Butterflies need nectar, so make sure you have plenty of flowering nectar plants.  You'll have to go to your local nursery to find out which ones are suitable for your area.  A tip when you are selecting them:  get a variety so that your garden is in bloom from late spring to fall.  In my area (Cincinnati, Ohio), these are the plants that work well:  Aster, Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly weed, Coreopis, lilies, goldenrod, lavender, lilac, marigold, butterfly bushes, purple coneflowers (a huge favorite for golden finches, too), rosemary, and verbena.  Butterflies seem to like red and purple flowers, so keep that in mind, too.

3.  Use organic fertilizer.  Butterflies are attracted to plants that are free of chemicals.

4.  Have water nearby.  This can be a bird bath, a natural water supply, or a man-made puddle.  To make a puddle, take a pie tin and sink it up to the rim in the ground.  Then fill it with dirt or sand and add water.  Add water whenever it starts to dry out.

5.  Provide flat rocks for butterflies to sit and warm themselves.

6.  Occasionally, place overripe fruit out for the butterflies to feast on.  They'll love it!

7.  Water your garden every day and enjoy the butterflies!