Creating an Aesthetically Pleasing Butterfly Garden

During spring and summer, American households venture out to engage in the recreational hobby of butterfly watching. While there are many butterfly farms scattered about the United States, some families choose to create a butterfly oasis right in their very own backyard. For this reason, researching the type of butterfly most proliferate for your region, will assist in creating a beautiful floral backyard, filled with rocks and stones for accent, where butterflies and caterpillars growth and nourish.

To plant the optimal garden for butterfly watching, it is imperative to pay particular attention to the types of plants utilized. Because caterpillars only use specific plants for food, and adult butterflies use only specific nectar plants for food, planting a garden with these two key elements will work to not only feed and nourish caterpillars until they grow into beautiful butterflies but also provide nourishment to the adult butterflies so they do not venture away into other gardens.

When planting nectar plants for butterflies, the plants should be strategically positioned with the floral arrangements set in groups. Because butterflies are attracted to bright beautiful flowers, the more plants in one group, the greater the floral display and, thus, the greater the butterfly attraction.

Because butterflies love gardens with lots of sun, the accent trees and bushes in the garden will need to be pruned back so as to allow for adequate sunlight. Also, try to avoid the use of pesticides in the garden as butterflies, generally, will not flutter about in areas where pesticides are present. With this in mind, also consider leaving a few weedy type plants, such as clovers, as butterflies and caterpillars tend to be attracted to a more weedy type area. In other words, do not strive for an immaculate garden.

If you enjoy gardening and growing vegetables, this will also encourage and entice the development and growth of caterpillars and butterflies. Most notably, butterflies and caterpillars enjoy vegetable gardens with cabbage, broccoli and carrot plants are also growing.

To add depth and interest to your garden, consider using rocks and river stones as accents. Because male butterflies enjoy mud and moist sand, a strategically positioned set of rocks can provide a canal of muddy water to attract the male butterfly. Be careful, however, to not leave stagnant water for extended periods of time as this may then attract mosquito and, in the end, destroy your plans for butterfly watching due to the overwhelming mosquito outbreak.