Creating a Butterfly Garden

A butterfly habitat is a no fuss; no fail way to create a beautiful garden in your landscape.

Selecting the site:

1. Butterflies need sun to keep warm so select a site that is sheltered from high winds with about six hours of sun a day. Begin your garden by thinking in layers with taller items in the back gradually working your way to lower items in the front.

2. Work with what you have. Do you have a small tree in a sunny area that can begin the taller foundation of your garden? Smaller ornamental trees such as oleander, bottlebrush, cassia and fruit trees make a great beginning.

3. Next, you will need host plants for shelter and nectar plants for food. Move forward with larger shrubs, such as Duranta golden dew drop, Plumbago, and butterfly bush. Evergreens also add year-round interest when perennials die back in winter.

4. Maintain a wet area. Butterflies use their proboscis or curled tongue to drink from wet sand or a stone. A small boulder also gives the butterfly a great place to stretch and dry his wings increasing your viewing potential.

5. Add smaller nectar and host plants, for instance, dwarf firebush, gold mound lantana, milkweed, salvia and taller herbs.

6. Finish the lowest level with ground covers using gaillardia, verbena, heather, and trailing lantanas.

Lastly, don’t forget a small bench for viewing the beauty and wonder of your butterfly habitat.