Nectar-Producing Flowers
Ensure that your garden has plenty of food for visiting butterflies by including a number of flowers. Pick any that thrive easily in your local climate. A few common butterfly garden picks include lantana, croton, and tropical milkweed. Use a mix of perennials and annuals so that you have a number of plants that will last from year to year and others you can pick and change each spring. Include early blooming, late blooming, and ever-blooming plants so that there is always something available to feed butterflies.
Nectar plants should be in a sunny part of the garden. Trim off spent flowers so that the plants produce more blooms for your butterfly guests to sip from.
Food and Shelter for Caterpillars
To ensure that there is a large local butterfly population to share your garden, provide food for caterpillars, as well. Many plants that create flowers for adults also have welcoming leaves and shoots for butterfly young. Keep caterpillar food plants in shady areas so that the larvae are protected from the hot sun. These shady areas can also protect caterpillars from hungry predators.
Making the Area Butterfly-Friendly
Mulch and weed instead of applying pesticides to control weeds. You should also minimize your use of sprays that kill insects, as they can also cause problems for your butterflies. To make the area more appealing to butterflies, you can include small saucers with soaked sponges to offer additional moisture as well as bait some areas with cut fruit to attract a wider array of butterflies.
The Right Irrigation for Butterflies
To keep your butterfly garden both safe and bountiful for your winged guests, you need to choose the right types of irrigation. Overhead options like sprinklers can wash nectar out of flowers and damage butterfly wings. Instead, opt for drip irrigation or soakers that add water directly to the soil. If you are unable to use either of these, restrict the use of overhead sprinklers to overnight when butterflies are less likely to be present.
It’s easy to include butterfly-friendly elements in any garden. Check out our options for drip irrigation and contact us with any questions about making your garden as appealing as possible. By making your garden especially hospitable to butterflies, you will be rewarded by frequent visits from these colorful guests.
