Add Beauty to Backyard with Butterfly Garden
Guest blog post by Mary Hopper of Natural Plus Nursery
Want to add a little joy to your backyard? Plant a butterfly garden! Butterflies spread beauty as they feed on the flowers they help pollinate.
There are a lot of things to think about when planning a butterfly garden, but the most important – and also the most obvious – is the plants. Lure butterflies into your yard with flowers that produce the nectar they prefer.
Some perennial plants that work well to attract butterflies to gardens in North Iowa and across Plant Hardiness Zone 4 include:
Additional plants that attract butterflies include:
- Bugleweed
- Butterfly Weed
- Cardinal Flower
- Columbine
- Dianthus
- False sunflower
- Lupine
- Savia
- Creeping Thyme
- Shasta Daisy
- Swamp Milkweed
- Yarrow
Other things to think about when planning your garden:
- Butterflies love oranges and bananas.
- Butterflies like water and rocks to perch on. (Remember, water and food sources also are necessary to attract birds to your backyard.)
- Butterflies are attracted to fragrance. Be sure to include good smelling plants like lavender, lilac and bee balm. These plants will be a treat to your senses, too!
April is National Gardening Month and a great time to plan your butterfly garden. Just click the links above to get started!
