Attracting Butterflie's to Your Garden

Here's a few pointers on how to keep your garden alive with "flying flowers" all summer long.

Picking the right spot is important.  To turn your garden into a haven  for these delicate dancers, you'll need to provide some of their favorites:

Pick an area that has full sun for at least half the day. Butterflies need to bath in the sun to generate enough heat to fly so add some flat rocks where they can land.

If possible the area should have some protection from the wind. A spot surrounded by bushes and tall plants keeps butterflies safe from wind, bad weather, and predators.

Water, butterflies need water. They will gather together at the edge of sand or mud puddles to drink and absorb minerals from the ground.

Most important, add nectar plants for them to feed on. (Nectar plants will attract and feed the adult butterflies. This will  allow you to see the adults on the wing as they come to feed, but...they will not stay because the female will be looking for the host/larval plants to lay her eggs on).  

Single plants won't do, you'll need lots of them. Some of their favorite wildflowers are: 

Texas Bluebonnet
Indian Blanket
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Huisache Daisy
American Basketflower
Purple Coneflower
Golden Wave
Greenthread
Purple Prairie Clover
Cutleaf Daisy
Partridge Pea
Lemon Mint
Illinois Bundleflower
Drummond Phlox
Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Weed

All of these favorites are in my special seed collection called Hummingbird Butterfly Mix .  Include early and late blooming varieties, so the butterflies will have a supply of food throughout the growing season.