Ways of Attracting Birds and Butterfly's to Your Yard

If you love to garden and also want to bring a little wildlife to your yard, keep reading! This article is full of tips and ideas that will attract birds and butterfly's to your yard. I have daily visitors that come to my yard, and I wanted to share with you the things that work for me.

Before you do anything, you must have some sort of plan. You want to pick a sunny spot for your new bird and butterfly garden. Then you will need to make sure that some essentials are provided for your new winged friends! Some of the essentials include plants that will provide food, as well as water, nesting spots, perches, shelter, other sources of food,( for the birds), as well as colorful plants just so the birds and butterfly's 'see' your garden.

We will start with butterfly's. There are certain plants that will attract certain butterfly's. Keep in mind that butterfly's actually use two different types of plants; those that provide nectar for the adults, and those that provide food for their offspring. One plant that every butterfly garden needs is the Butterfly Bush. They come is a variety of colors, and are a major butterfly attractor. Other favorites of butterfly's are the Coneflower, milkweed ~ which is probably the most well known 'butterfly' plant ~ lantana, lavender, phlox, and dianthus. I have several of these plants in my yard, and I especially like to watch the caterpillars devour my milkweed. This simple act means that there is great new beauty to come.

You can also do a little research to find out which types of butterfly's are native to your area. That way you can figure out which kinds of plants to purchase. Certain butterfly's feed on certain plants. You can also go to your local nursery. Most butterfly attracting plants will have a tag that says the butterfly's like that plant. The next thing you need to provide for the butterfly's is a water source. Something shallow, and low to the ground works well. I have a saucer from the bottom of a terra cotta pot in my gardens. You can put a layer of sand in the saucer, then fill with just enough water so there is about a half inch of water above the sand. Also, don't forget that your butterfly garden needs to get at least five to six hours of sunlight during the day. Butterfly's are cold blooded, and need the sunlight to warm themselves. You also need to make sure that the location is sheltered from the wind. Butterfly's will not hang around in an area that they have to constantly struggle against the wind to stay on a plant.

Are next subjects are birds. I love to watch all the birds that visit my yard. Birds also need a few essentials, including food, water, and shelter. A few great plants for birds are Vibernum, which provides both food and shelter, and Barberry, again provides both food and shelter. Then Holly, Virginia Creeper, and Mexican Sage all provide food for certain birds. Creeping Juniper is a great low to the ground hiding spot for birds too. Also, make sure there is at least one decent sized tree in your yard, or even a close neighbors yard would work too. Norway Maple, if available in your area, is a great choice for the birds. The next thing you need for the birds is water. Provide a couple bird baths in your yard, near plants, trees, and food.

Birds will use the birdbaths for drinking and bathing. Try to place your birdbaths in a shady location. Also try to clean birdbaths out every day or two. Clean, fresh water is essential to keep the birds coming back. Make sure the bath basin is not too deep also. You can always put some sort of 'perch' in the middle of the birdbath if needed. Birds also need shelter, but this doesn't mean you have to fill your yard with birdhouses. Most birds will nest high up in the trees. Also some of the plants that were mentioned earlier in the article provide great shelter for birds. The last thing that we are going to cover is food. Birds need a variety of different foods.

There are certain plants and shrubs that provide fruit and berries for the birds, and then you can also use bird feeders in your yard. I have several bird feeders that are all filled with something different. Different birds will eat different things, so I have different seed in some of my feeders, as well as suet feeders, and fresh fruit. Not only do bird feeders and baths provide for the birds, they also make a beautiful edition to your yard and garden. Remember that where their is bird seed, there are squirrels. I don't mind the squirrels, but they can go through a lot of seed in a very short period of time. There are a couple things you can try to discourage the squirrels. You can use squirrel proof bird feeders, as well as adding some hot cayenne pepper dust to the seed. Birds can't taste the hot pepper, but squirrels can

Everything mentioned in this article are all things that I do in my yard.. I get a wonderful variety of different birds and butterfly's that visit and enjoy my yard on a daily basis.