How to Create a Butterfly Friendly Garden
Creating a butterfly garden holds a two-fold benefit, not only will you have a wonderful variety of flowers to enjoy throughout the spring and summer months, you will also be helping an amazing insect to survive.
Over the last fifty years or so it has become painfully obvious that environmental change is having an adverse affect on butterfly numbers. One way you can help counter this is to provide the best possible habitat for butterflies in your garden. This means growing nectar rich plants for the adults and larval plants for the young.
Prerequisites
Butterflies avoid the shade; therefore, ensure your garden gets the maximum amount of sun possible. If you're lucky enough to have a south-facing garden you will have an advantage when it comes to attracting butterflies.
Butterflies are fragile, strong gusts of wind tend to knock them off course! For this reason, make sure your garden is protected from strong winds. If they are a problem consider planting a row of 'butterfly bush' (Buddleia) or Mock Orange to act as a buffer against the wind.
Nectar Rich Plants
Once you have dealt with the sun and wind it's time to stock your garden with butterfly food! This means nectar rich plants such as the afore mentioned Buddleia or Valerian, Sedum Spectible, the Ice Plant and Garden Vanessides, which is a favorite of Small Tortoiseshells. The Michaelmas Daisy is another, particularly for providing nectar during late summer. In order to attract the Black Swallowtail or the Anise Swallowtail you can plant the herbs dill, fennel or parsley.
And there you have the basic steps to creating a colorful and very butterfly friendly garden. Remember, for best results avoid using any chemicals on your garden, as these will harm butterflies.
This article courtesy of ButterflyPages.com - All About Butterflies!