Planning Your Butterfly Garden
The answers to these questions will help you determine the size and scope of your butterfly garden. Another step should be to find out which butterflies are in your area. You can do this by spending some time outdoors with your field guide and a pair of binoculars to see which species are around you. Plan to spend around 4-5 hours between mid-morning and early afternoon trying to spot butterflies over a three day period. If you’re serious about this, it’ll be well worth it! Check the Internet as well to find out which butterflies are naturally abundant in your area. We’ll have a whole separate section on plants that attract butterflies. Most butterflies prefer some shelter from high winds. At the same time, they like open, sunny areas. Windbreak plantings or other means of sheltering the butterfly garden can help provide a suitable physical environment. Certain kinds of butterflies (mostly males) often can be seen on moist sand or mud collecting around puddles of water where they feed. The function of these "mud-puddle clubs" is not fully understood, but it is thought that the water contains dissolved minerals needed by the insects. Maintaining a damp, slightly salty area in the yard may attract groups of these butterflies. When planning a garden, create a large patch of a flower species to attract and retain butterflies. Consider flowers that bloom in sequence. This is particularly important during summer when flower visiting by butterflies is most frequent. Map your yard and choose the spot that receive the least amount of wind and maximum sunshine. You’ll also want to take into consideration the growing requirements of the plants you will be putting in along with their growing needs. Plant your butterfly garden in a sunny location (5-6 hours each day), but sheltered from the winds. Butterflies need the sun to warm themselves, but they won't want to feed in an area where they are constantly fighting the wind to stay on the plants. Afternoon sun will not only bring in lots of butterflies, but will provide glorious light for viewing and photographing them. It's a plus if you can watch from your kitchen or living room window. Your location should be calm and relatively undisturbed – meaning only occasional visits by humans. the more natural the area the greater the number and diversity of butterflies attracted. Provide cover and shelter such as broad-leaved trees, shrubs, and log piles. You also want to have several landing pads or sunbathing perches in open and sunny areas throughout the garden. Butterflies rely to a large degree on thermal heating and sunbathe in these open spots. These are most often a variety of large varied sizes of stones that can be used for decorative purposes as well. Determine what type of soil you have. Is it sandy, clay, wetland, well-drained, or very dry? This is very important to know when you select the plants. It's a good idea to have the soil tested. This will provide you with valuable insight into the chemical makeup and condition (texture) of your soil. The soil testing lab will gladly provide you with suggestions for improving soil fertility and drainage, if needed. This can also make a difference in what types of plants will be able to thrive in your garden. What types of trees are in the area? This is important since most moth larvae eat tree leaves; leaves are also the food plant for some of the swallowtails and the mourning cloak. Some trees also produce flowers attractive to adult butterflies. There are specific trees called butterfly trees that can draw hundreds and hundreds of butterflies to it. These include birch trees and red oaks. Butterflies need water just like we do. Keep a mud puddle damp in a sunny location, or fill a bucket with sand and enough water to make the sand moist. Periodically saturate the sand to keep it moist. You can also bury the bucket in the ground for aesthetic purposes and provide access to it by surrounding it with some small rocks. Male butterflies appreciate a patch of wet sand or dirt. They sip salts and other minerals from the sand, a behavior known as “puddling”. The minerals are passed on in a sperm packet during mating, to enrich the eggs. In you want to include the use of butterflies in your landscape you will need to create a safety zone for your butterflies to feel safe. Butterflies frequent habitual zones, where they feel safe and where areas of the landscape meet with the tree lines. Creating your butterfly gardens near or around trees will help in attracting even more of these graceful creatures to your gardens. You should also consider hedges; groups of small trees or shrubs; or walls, fences, trellises covered with vines. Butterflies are attracted to areas of your gardens where they can gather food for their offspring. The caterpillar will eat from the plants while the adult butterflies will sip on the nectar of the flowers. As your plants, shrubs, and flowers mature, the amount of butterflies to your gardens will also increase. The plants and flowers that you put in your garden this year will attract only a few, but in the years to come the natural instinct of the butterfly will lead them to your garden. What is the adult butterfly searching for in your gardens? The butterfly searches for areas to take shelter from the high winds, the rains, and the summer storms. This is where the trees and shrubs in your gardens become important in protecting the butterfly and offering shelter. During the normal, warm sunny summer day the butterfly wants the wide-open areas of your lawn and garden. Butterflies will seek soft soil that is sandy-like to find water. The sand-like soil that allows water to puddle up after a rainstorm is a butterfly’s delight. The developing stages of the caterpillar to the butterfly are observed often in the established butterfly garden. Butterflies don't need anything fancy or expensive: just a large, open, sun-filled area; some flowers, for adults; some food sources, for caterpillars; shelter; puddles; and rocks. You might consider planting an herb garden if you enjoy herbs - many butterfly species do too. So now you have the location and a plan put in place for your garden. The next step is to figure out what plants you want to put in to attract butterflies. |
Sponsored Ads:Related Articles:
Landscaping For Wildlife / ?Suet Bird Feeders Gardening Supplies / Organic Gardening Supplies Become More Popular Fountains / Making A Splash With A Bronze Water Fountain Indoor Gardening / Indoor Gardening For Kids Container Gardening / Container Gardening Ideas Horticulture / Options For Online Horticulture Course Offerings Fountains / A Homemade Pond Fountain Can Add Beauty To Your Home Landscape Gardening Information / Gardening Magazine Home Gardening / Tips For Designer Home Gardening Landscape Gardening / Interior Landscaping Plants - Bringing The Greenery Indoors Flower Gardening / Flower Gardening Ideas Greenhouse / Choosing The Right Greenhouse Design Gardening Information / Using Gardening To Get In Shape Hydroponics / Websites To Visit For Commercial Hydroponics Flower Gardening / Flower Gardening Tips Also In This Category:Currently Online :3 member(s), 25 guest(s): Cocktail, DeadlyAmphibian, SimpleStripes, Google, MSN.com, Cobion.com, Slurp, Yandex Search : |
No comments yet
hydroponics during making experiences fact lynx daisy electric ensure mister god creatures flooding fork front controlling nail architect roses grain person ornamental artificial shelter clippings rocks insecticides pays broke seasons landscaping industry blow strength cushions climber cyclamen paid environment sales tiles stained style rock soap broilmaster joints red affiliate lumber boards
Categories: Growing Flowers for a Profit Gardening Made Easy Fountains Garden Furniture Woodworking Lawn Greenhouse Hydroponics Landscaping For Wildlife Barbecues Wind Chimes Natural Fertilizer Canopy Fountains Fruit Trees How To Build A Fence Bonsai Worm Farming Mosquitos Horticulture Garden Furniture Barbecue Butterflies Insecticide Flowers Water Gardening Vegetable Gardening Gardening Tips Gardening Supplies Rose Gardening Organic Gardening Landscape Gardening Indoor Gardening Home Gardening Gardening Information Flower Gardening Container Gardening Gardening Tools