Attracting Butterflies

Is there anything that is really more enchanting than entering a garden that has a bunch of butterflies flittering about in it? At some point in our lives, just about everyone has experienced this. Learning the tricks of attracting butterflies to your garden is beneficial in many ways, and not just in enhancing the magic, elegance, and beauty of your landscape. Butterflies can also act as a great propagation vector, and can thus help enhance the general health and welfare of the entire garden.

In order to begin attracting butterflies to your garden, there are a few simple things that you should keep in mind. These guidelines will not only help you in attracting the butterflies, but in keeping them around for a while.

• Know your butterflies. The very first thing that you should do is begin learning about the types of butterflies that you have in your area of the world. Just about every region has its own type of butterflies, and as such, you should know what you are going to be working with. The best way to begin learning the types of butterflies you will be able to attract is to talk to your local nursery, or county extension office. Once you begin learning what types of butterflies you have, you can also begin learning what these little friends will like to eat.
• Pick the right flowers. While there are all kinds of specific flowers and plants that can attract certain species, there are some kinds of flowers that can be generally used to attract butterflies. Generally speaking these flowers will be brightly colored, and have strong scents. Some examples of these flowers are things like Butterfly weed, Aster, Purple Coneflower, Joe Pye Weed, Salvia, Lantana, and many more. When picking your flowers, be sure to choose something that will work well in your agriculture zone.
• Create a habitat. Picking the right flowers is only part of creating a butterfly friendly habitat. Ideally, when creating a habitat, you will choose several different types of flowers to maximize the attraction and eating options for the butterflies. In addition, creating a habitat will include layering the different flowers to help create a protection, shade, and resting areas for the butterflies.