How To Create A Butterfly Garden

How to Create your very own Butterfly Garden

A butterfly garden is a beautiful and eco-friendly way to bring these lovely creatures into your outdoor space. Not only does it look lovely but it’s also a vital part of pollination and ecosystem health. With a bit of planning and care you can have a haven for butterflies and enjoy their presence all season.

This guide will walk you through the steps to designing a butterfly-friendly garden, from choosing the right plants to providing the resources for them to thrive.

Choose the Right Spot

The first step in creating a butterfly garden is to choose the right place. Butterflies are cold-blooded and need the sun to warm their bodies and give them energy.

To attract more butterflies choose a spot that:

• Gets at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day
• Is sheltered from strong winds
• Is not heavily shaded by buildings or trees

A warm sunny spot will encourage butterflies to be more active and feed more frequently.

Choose Butterfly Friendly Plants

The key to attracting butterflies is nectar-rich flowers. A variety of plants is a great way to make sure a range of different butterfly species visit your garden.

Some great butterfly-friendly plants are:

• Butterfly bush (Buddleia)
• Coneflower (Echinacea)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
• Milkweed (Asclepias)
• Lantana
• Verbena
• Zinnia
• Pentas

For best results plant a mix of year round and seasonal flowers so you have a continuous food source all season. Native plants are best as they are suited to your local climate and attract native butterfly species.

Provide Host Plants for Caterpillars

To support the full butterfly life cycle include host plants where butterflies can lay their eggs and caterpillars can feed before metamorphosis.

Different butterfly species prefer different host plants. For example:

• Monarch butterflies lay eggs on milkweed
• Black swallowtails prefer parsley, dill and fennel
• Painted lady butterflies like thistles and hollyhocks

Be prepared for some leaf damage as caterpillars will feed on the host plants before forming their chrysalises.

Provide a Water Source

Butterflies need water especially during hot summer months. Unlike birds they don’t drink from deep water sources.

To provide a drinking spot:

• Fill a shallow dish with water* Add a few rocks or pebbles for them to land on
• Top up the water regularly

This will keep them hydrated and they’ll hang around in your garden.

Why Create a Butterfly Garden

Creating a butterfly garden is a great way to support local pollinators and add a natural beauty to your outdoor space. Choose a sunny spot, plant nectar rich flowers, provide host plants and a water source and you’ll attract and sustain butterflies all season.

For more information and help with garden creation, contact us!