|
|
If you have a place in your yard and would like to
assist in the conservation efforts for the most
beautiful creatures in the world, then you will
certainly want to create a butterfly
garden. Many species of butterflies are
disappearing due to their loss of natural habitat
because of expanding urbanization and business
development. Creating a natural habitat in a
place where no bulldozer dare roam, like in your
yard, is one of the best ways to save the
butterflies, as well as creating a beautiful and
peaceful place for you to enjoy the butterflies as
they come to visit you. You will need to research
your desired butterfly guests and find out what
kinds of plants they like. Once you do that
you can begin to design your butterfly garden
plan.
There are two types of plants that you will
want to consider in your butterfly garden plan.
Nectar
plants, which are the plants that butterflies
like to feed on, and host
plants, which are plants that butterflies lay
their eggs on and their caterpillars like to eat.
You may also wish to add some adornments to your
butterfly garden that will also help to attract
butterflies, like a butterfly
house or two and some butterfly
feeders.
Different butterflies prefer different nectar
plants, and some like more than one.
Providing several different types of nectar plants
in your butterfly garden that have varying
blooming stages is the ideal way to attract
butterflies throughout the season. Be sure
to have several types that bloom in the late
summer and early fall because this is when
butterflies are the most populous. For the
best looking butterfly garden plan, make sure to
put the taller plants and flowers behind the
shorter ones. Most people like to start with
a large butterfly bush in the corner and work
around it with smaller plants and flowers.
Adult butterflies will visit for a longer
period if they find plants to lay their eggs on,
which you can read about in our host
plants article. The young caterpillars feed on
the host plants until they form their cocoons.
Baby caterpillars eat quite a lot and will make
your plants look as if they are being destroyed,
but don’t worry about that, this is necessary
for their survival. If you don’t want to
look at the eaten plants, simply plant them in the
center or the back of your butterfly garden.
There are a couple of things to watch out for
when you design your butterfly garden.
Don’t plant your host plants too far away from
your nectar plants. It is best to mix them
or place them right next to each other. The
butterflies will want to lay their eggs closer to
the plants that their young will feed on.
Also, never use insecticides on your butterfly
garden. Remember that butterflies are an
insect species and these chemicals will kill them.
If you follow these few tips, and find the right
plants for your butterfly garden, you will help to
save the butterflies and have a wonderful place in
your yard to enjoy all season long.
Our articles are free for you to copy and
distribute. Please give http://www.TheButterflySite.
com credit for the article.
|
