Summer Gardening for the Butterflies

There are many different reasons that different people decide to plant summer gardens. One common reason that is becoming more popular these days as people to seek to entertain their children through little things done closer to home is to attract butterflies. This is much easier done than one might think if you live in the right environment for these lovely insects to thrive and flourish.

Michaelmas Daisies attract a lot of butterflies and bees.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Butterflies are beautiful creatures with very short life spans, and maybe it's for this reason that they seem to be attracted to beautiful things during their short lives. Brightly colored flowers attract butterflies in droves. This means that flowers such as aster, marigold, black-eyed Susan, and butterfly weed are all known to attract butterflies.

Another thing you may wish to consider when selecting flowers for the purpose of attracting these delightful winged creatures to your summer garden is the nectar. This is the essential food for butterflies so a garden that is filled with more nectar-producing flowers is likely to garner more than its fair share of attention from the butterflies nearby. The greater the selection of nectar-producing flowers the greater the number of butterflies your garden is likely to attract so be sure to plant plenty and prune them in a manner that produces maximum flowers for maximum impact.

In addition to the flowers in your summer garden there are other methods that may be used to attract butterflies to the delight of young and old alike. One of those methods is by placing a several pieces of ripe fruit in your garden. This is another treat for butterflies to enjoy and will attract many that may be in the area.

One thing to remember when planting to attract butterflies is that they do adore worshipping the sun. This means that shady types of gardens aren't best suited for attracting them and won't keep them around for long even if a few happen by. Plant your butterfly garden in an area that benefits from the full force of the sun most of the day in order to entertain the most possible butterflies, and keep in mind that different butterflies are attracted to different plants both as caterpillars and as butterflies. A little further study may produce the best results when seeking the most suitable plants for your butterfly garden depending on the type of butterflies you most hope to attract.

 Monarch butterfly(Danaus plexippus) on a Zinnia Flower - Zinnias are favored by butterflies, many gardeners add zinnias specifically to attract them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You should also avoid using pesticides in a flower garden built to attract butterflies. It wouldn't make sense to attract butterflies to your garden only to harm them through exposing them to chemicals while paying your summer garden a visit. Employ organic gardening methods in your butterfly garden for the best results.

You should also make sure there is a source of water nearby in order to keep the butterflies well hydrated. They need water just like any other animal. Many gardens these days add water features that keep the water moving (best for avoiding mosquito infestations) while having it freely available for the animals that we are hoping to attract such as birds and butterflies.

Our summer gardens are an investment of both time and attention. It is great when we can accomplish more than one beautiful result from our hard work and effort. A summer garden designed to attract butterflies is a great way to achieve just that.

Resources on Butterfly Gardening: