How to Attract Butterfly's to Your Garden

Here's a few pointer on how to keep your garden alive with "flying flowers" all summer long. Picking the right spot is important.

To turn your yard / garden into a haven for these delicate dancers you'll need to provide some of their favorite things.

Pick an area that has full sun for at least half of the day.  Butterflie's need to sunbath to generate enough heat to fly so

add some flat rocks where they can land. If possible the area should have some protection from the wind. A spot surrounded

by bushes and tall plants keep butterflie's safe from wind, bad weather and predators. Water is important. You've seen

them gather at the edge of a mud puddle or on wet soil. It's to get a drink and absorb minerals from the ground.

Most important is adding nectar plants for butterfly's to feed on. Single plants won't do, you'll needs lots and a variety of them.

Some of their favorite wildflowers are:
Texas Bluebonnet
Indian Blanket
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Huisache Daisy
American Basketflower
Purple Coneflower
GoldenWave
Greenthread
Purple Prairie Clover
Cutleaf Daisy
Partridge Pea
Lemon Mint
Illinois Bundleflower
Drummond Phlox
Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Weed

All of these seeds are in a special seed collection called Hummingbird Butterfly Mix which can be purchased in my ebay

store. It includes early and late blooming flowers so the  butterfly's will have a supply of food throughout the growing season.

Adding "host plants" is also a good idea. Not only will they feed off them but they take residence to lay their eggs. This

gives you the opportunity to observe their whole life cycle from larva to caterpillar, chrysalis and adult.

Butterfly's lay eggs on everything from passionflower vines to parsley. The Monarch's host plant is milkweed.

Scarlet Milkweed seeds are also available in my ebay store. The host plant also provides food for the caterpillars when they

hatch. Various species of  butterfly's require specific host plants, so you should do a little research about which one's are in your

region so you can provide their favorite host.

Now, put your hand into the earth, sow, plant, watch it grow and enjoy your creation while the "flying flowers" dance for you.

Buy the Seeds You Need