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How to Create a Butterfly Garden

Posted by in Home: Gardening  ~  June 11, 2012 10:38:35 PM

Butterflies are very beautiful insects. No matter where you live, it is possible to create your very own butterfly garden. If you simply want to admire butterflies coming in and out of your garden, this can be a great idea. It can also be a great choice for people who enjoy taking photographs of the beautiful wildlife that they find in their backyards. Here are some tips on how to create a butterfly garden.

Choose the Right Location For a Butterfly Garden

To create a butterfly garden, it is necessary for you to choose the right location. You will want to choose an area that is at least 5 X 5 feet, but keep in mind that it is generally much more preferable to choose an even larger spot. In addition to being large enough, the spot that you choose for your butterfly garden should also receive enough sunlight because butterflies do not care too much for shade.

Select the Right Plants For the Butterfly Garden

The main key that is going to determine how many butterflies will flutter in your garden is the plants that you select. It is important to keep in mind that the right plants for your butterfly garden are going to mainly depend on the type of butterflies in the area. Some of the different flowers that usually will appeal to butterflies include Black Eyed Susan, Aster, Lilies, Hibiscus, Lavender, Lilac, Marigold, and Rosemary. Monarch butterflies absolutely love Milkweed. Keep in mind that butterflies enjoy looking at plants of the same color, so planting the flowers according to their color can be helpful.

Avoid Using Insecticide in the Butterfly Garden

Insecticide will prevent butterflies and other insects from entering the garden. Although it is likely that you will probably want to keep the less than desirable insects out of the butterfly garden, it is important to remember that you are going to be scaring away the butterflies as well. The butterflies are insects as well, after all. This means that the insecticide will kill them, along with the spiders and bees. When trying to create a butterfly garden, the best way to go is keeping it entirely free of any type of chemical.

Keep Spreading Plants out of the Butterfly Garden

If you are interested in creating a butterfly garden, it is important to keep plants that spread out of it. The spreading plants will outgrow and, ultimately suffocate, all of the other plants that you put in the garden. This is no different than any other type of garden that you may think about growing, however.

Most people enjoy watching butterflies because they are very beautiful. With the right amount of planning, you will be able to create a butterfly garden that can attract all of the species of butterflies in your area. Choosing the right location, selecting the right plants, avoiding insecticide, and keeping spreading plants away are just a few of the ways to begin creating a beautiful butterfly garden in your backyard.