Garden Types

More Flower Garden Tips

October 26, 2020 by Butterfly Gardens Leave a Comment

A flower garden is a beautiful and fragrant addition to any yard. But if you’re hoping that butterflies will flutter through, a flower garden is a must. Butterflies subsist by drinking nectar from certain flowers, such as asters, coneflowers, yarrow, milkweed, and butterfly weed. Planting these types of flowers will ensure that some butterflies will visit. But, with a little bit of thought and planning, your flower garden can be designed to attract several different species of butterflies throughout the entire flight season.

Planning Your Flower Garden

Of course, choosing the right plants is crucial to attracting butterflies to your flower garden. But there are several other things that you can do to make your garden appealing to butterflies.

Check Your Hardiness Zone

Always start planning your garden by making sure you choose plants–especially shrubs and perennials–suited to your hardiness zone. If you’re unsure of your zone, check the hardiness maps available on the Canadian and American government websites.

Stagger Bloom Times

A flower garden that provides blossoms and nectar from early spring through late fall will attract the largest number and variety of butterflies. As the Butterfly Conservation website points out, butterflies emerging from hibernation in the spring need a ready source of nectar. And, in the fall, both migrating butterflies and those that hibernate for the winter will need to build up their reserves. But, as long as there is nectar available, butterflies will visit all season long.

Plant Both Annuals and Perennials

Perennials make it easy to maintain your garden from year to year, without a lot of annual work or expense. But annuals are a way to change up your garden each season. They’re also a way to add masses of colour and fragrance to areas where there is a lull in blooming. Combining both annual and perennial flowers will help to attract butterflies throughout the season.

Plant Shrubs

Shrubs are an easy way to establish the tall flowering plants that some butterflies prefer. It’s always best to choose native plant varieties and shrubs are no exception. Plants that are native to North America evolved in tandem with local plant and animal species. As a result, they are the best hosts for the region’s wildlife, including butterflies.

The Evergreen website suggests these native shrubs:

Red flowering currant (Ribes sanquineum) grows up to 4m tall and produces pink blossoms.

Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) blooms in the spring and can grow up to 4m high.

Lilac (Syringa spp.) has many different varieties and cultivars, making it easy to choose one suited to your planting location and your garden’s aesthetics.

Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is a tall spring-flowering shrub that can grow up to 6m in height.

Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor) has creamy white blossoms and can grow up to 4m tall.

Plant in Full Sun

Butterflies are ectotherms like reptiles, amphibians, and fish. As pointed out in a great article at the Washington Post, that means that they can’t retain the heat generated by their metabolism. Instead, their body temperature changes according to environmental factors. If it’s cool outside, ectotherms will also be cool.

But muscles work better when they’re warm. In order to fly, butterflies need warmth. They will bask in the sun, resting with their wings outstretched, if they need to warm up. Staying warm, and being able to take flight quickly, keeps butterflies safe from predators like birds and bats.

While many flowers favoured by butterflies grow best in full sun, some varieties will grow in more shaded areas too. But, wherever possible, establish your plants in an area that gets lots of sunshine. That way, not only will your flowers help sustain butterflies, but they’ll keep the insects warm and safe as they feed.

Choose Plants with Varying Heights

Different species of butterflies seek out flowers of specific heights. In a piece at The Spruce, Jamie McIntosh gives some terrific examples. Tiger swallowtails, for instance, prefer tall flowers like Joe Pye weed. But other butterflies, such as the least skipper and little yellow, like flowers that bloom on shorter plants, like dianthus and asters.

Planting some flowers in containers or baskets is an easy way to vary the height of your plants. As an added bonus, container plantings are valuable if your flower garden is going through a lull in terms of blooms. A container full of blossoms can easily be moved into the garden patch when needed.

Plant in Masses

Butterflies use vision to seek out food. As explained at the online interactive museum WebExhibits, butterflies identify sources of nectar first by the colour of flower petals and second by the colour of flower centres. The centres change colour as they produce nectar and become pollinated. As pointed out in an article at nature.com, the changes in colour help pollinators avoid old or unrewarding flowers and focus instead on those that are rich in nectar.

Planting groups of like flowers together will help butterflies identify them from a distance. As well, masses of plants and blossoms make it worth a butterfly’s while to come for a visit, as there are more likely to be rewarding blooms.

Caring for Your Flower Garden

Taking good care of flowering plants will prolong their blossoming season. That means more time for butterflies to visit your garden.

Use natural fertilizers and compost to feed your flowers and keep them blooming longer. For the health of visiting butterflies and other wildlife, always avoid the use of chemical fertilizers as well as chemical pesticides and herbicides.

Be sure to deadhead flowering plants as needed. If left on the plant, old blooms will begin producing seeds. When that happens, the plant will throw its energy into seed production rather than creating new blossoms.

It can take some time to establish and care for a flower garden that attracts a wide variety of butterflies from spring through to fall. But it’s worth it! With a little bit of planning and effort, your flower garden can be an inviting oasis for butterflies.

Garden Plants

October 5, 2020 by Butterfly Gardens Leave a Comment

When we visualize a butterfly garden, the first thing that likely springs to mind is masses of colourful blooms. After all, when we spot butterflies, they’re often fluttering around blossoms, drinking nectar.

But the plants in our vegetable gardens are important to butterflies too. Some of those plants act as hosts for larvae. Others have blossoms that are sources of nectar for adult insects. Whatever the reason for butterfly visitors, it’s good news for gardeners. Butterflies have an important role to play as pollinators. You should always welcome butterflies into your vegetable garden. But, you might also consider adding vegetable plants to your butterfly garden. Either way, those stunning insects and vegetable plants go hand in hand.

Garden Host Plants for Butterfly Larvae

Different species of butterflies choose different foodplants for their larvae. Larvae don’t move far from the site where they hatch. Instead, they tend to stay on the same plant, where they eat and grow and move closer to the metamorphosis stage. For this reason, female butterflies will travel long distances to find the right plants to deposit their eggs on. Your vegetable garden may have just those plants a butterfly is looking for.

Brassica Family

Even though they’re beautiful, cabbage white butterflies are the bane of many a gardener’s existence. These butterflies favour plants in the mustard family, also known as Brassicas, as hosts for their larvae. Mustard, cabbage, broccoli, and kale are all members of the Brassica family.

The green cabbage worm, which will go through metamorphosis to become a cabbage white, is highly destructive to Brassicas. To save their produce, vegetable gardeners may resort to chemical pesticides. But, as always, natural pest control methods are much safer. Installing floating row covers is a terrific way to deter cabbage whites from depositing their eggs on young plants. Or, if butterfly eggs and larvae already exist on a plant, those can be picked off. The earlier the eggs and larvae are removed, the less damage will be done to the plants.

Apiaceae Family

According to the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility website, the Apiaceae family of vegetables and herbs is attractive to swallowtails. Plants such as carrots, parsnips, celery, dill, and fennel are host plants for black swallowtail butterflies in eastern Canada and to anise swallowtail butterflies in western Canada.

While swallowtails are more colourful and less common than cabbage whites, gardeners may still be loath to share produce with swallowtail larvae. As with cabbage whites, natural pest control methods–like floating row covers or simply picking off eggs and/or larvae–are safe and effective.

Fabaceae or Leguminosae Family

The long-tailed skipper favours plants in the Fabaceae family–particularly peas and beans–as a larval food source. These larvae fold themselves into the leaves of these plants as they eat and grow. Long-tailed skipper larvae would rarely do so much damage to the leaves that the produce itself would be affected. But, if your garden becomes overwhelmed with long-tailed skipper larvae, just remove them by hand.

Cucurbitaceae Family

The Cucurbitaceae family includes cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, and various squashes (winter, summer, zucchini, pumpkins, gourds). Gray hairstreak butterflies particularly favour cucumber plants as a food source for their larvae. As with long-tailed skippers and legume plants, it’s rare for gray hairstreak larvae to do so much damage to cucumber leaves that the produce is affected.

Garden Nectar Sources for Adult Butterflies

Butterflies don’t visit vegetable gardens only to deposit eggs on larval foodplants. Herbs and vegetables go through flowering stages, providing precious nectar to butterflies. In addition to radishes, butterflies will seek nectar from various herbs (garlic chives, oregano, mint, sage, rosemary, and thyme). As they flutter through your garden, they will help with the pollination of all plants. And pollination, of course, is vital to the success of your garden.

Vegetables in the Butterfly Garden

In an interesting piece at growjourney.com, April Gordon explains that she initially kept her butterfly garden separate from her vegetable garden. But, she is now thoroughly integrating the two. And, there is no reason to keep them separate. Many vegetables have ornamental properties and would look stunning planted among flowers. Many herbs grow low to the ground and would make excellent border plantings.

In most cases, butterfly larvae do not do so much damage that the plants’ produce is affected. The one exception is with plants in the Brassica family. It would be easy enough to plant your Brassicas separately and keep them safe with row covers. Or, if you were feeling generous, you could plant a few Brassicas out solely for butterfly larvae to enjoy.

As pointed out at the Vegetable Matter blog, the key is to maintain a healthy balance between caterpillars and plants. That way, you can have your veggies–and you and the butterfly larvae can eat them too.

Flower Garden Tips

September 21, 2020 by Butterfly Gardens Leave a Comment

Flower gardens are a beautiful addition to any yard. Not only do the colourful blooms add visual interest but the plants attract a variety of wildlife, including birds, bees, and butterflies. Whether your flower garden is just a small plot or has taken over your entire yard, it’s sure to bring you joy.

Planting a Flower Garden

When you’re planning or expanding your flower garden, it’s important to pick the best plants for your growing conditions and your region’s ecosystem. Other than that, focus on having fun and creating a garden space that you love.

Cornell University has a terrific guide to help design your flower garden. The tips below are taken from their site but visit their page for more ideas and details.

Sunshine

Most flowering plants need full sun to flourish. They may tolerate shade or partial shade, but they will likely produce more blooms if they get at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. Read the plant information tags or seed packets to determine how much sun your flowers need. Then, scope out your yard to determine the best spots for your flowers.

Soil

Most plants prefer loose, well-drained soil. A low-lying area where standing water collects isn’t a good spot for a flower garden. But many other soil issues can be addressed. Heavy clay soils, for instance, can be worked and amended with organic matter like compost or manure to loosen them and improve drainage. An easy work-around for any trouble spots, though, is to install raised beds or use pots and planters.

Avoid Trees

Very few plants grow well under large trees. Trees cast shade and their large root systems greedily soak up the moisture and nutrients in the soil.

Choices

Pretty much everything else is up to you!

Do you want to create something new every year from scratch with annuals or do you want to put in some perennials that you can count on to bloom in the years to come?
Flower beds can be more visually interesting if there are a variety of plants with differing heights. Remember that different species or cultivars of the same plant may grow to very different heights. Take some time to figure which plants would complement each other best in terms of how tall they grow.
Visual interest can also be created by choosing blooms of varying shades or contrasting colours.
Create beds where the plants will flower from spring through to fall frosts. Use spring-flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils to kick things off. Then also choose a variety of other flowers that will bloom throughout the season.
Are there certain types of wildlife (honey bees, hummingbirds, particular butterfly species) that you want to attract to your garden? If so, do some research into the best plants for both your region and the critters you wish to attract.

Remember that most plants transplant well. If you find that a certain flower isn’t performing well or if you decide that you no longer want to care for a certain plant (perhaps you’re tired of deadheading?), it’s perfectly okay to move your plants around. Do a little research beforehand, though, as some transplant better at certain times in the season.

Choosing Native Plants

It’s also important to consider whether the plants you choose for your flower garden are native to the area.

Native plants are those that have evolved within a region’s ecosystem. Because they’ve evolved in tandem with other plants and animals in the area, they have an important role in supporting biodiversity.

Non-native plants (also called “alien” or “exotic” plants) were introduced into an area, either on purpose or by accident. Daylilies, for example, were introduced to North America from eastern Asia in the 1600s as ornamental flowers. Because they are hardy, vigourous, and highly adaptable, they migrated into the wild. They now grow as wildflowers across North America, but they are not native to the continent. Other non-native plant species may have been introduced by accident when seeds were inadvertently carried into an area.

The Ontario Invasive Plant Council points out that invasive plants negatively impact an area’s biodiversity and habitats. In fact, invasive exotic plants can “permanently [alter] landscapes and ecosystem functions … costing economies millions of dollars each year.” Seeds from non-native plants are easily dispersed by wind, water, and wildlife. A single butterfly bush can produce three million seeds within just one season! In that way, even exotic plants confined to your backyard can affect an area’s entire ecosystem.

Choosing Plants for a Butterfly Garden

Butterflies are one of those sure signs of summer that we all love to see. Not only are they awe-inspiring and beautiful to look at but they have a vital role in our planet’s ecosystem. They are part of the natural food chain as prey to birds, bats, and other insects. More importantly, they are crucial pollinators. As the Centre for Biological Diversity points out, as human beings our own food sources are dependent on pollinators.

It’s easy to attract butterflies to your garden. You just need to establish the plants that butterflies and their larvae use as food sources. Adult butterflies will seek out two types of plants. They feed on nectar and are particularly drawn to phlox, asters, coneflowers, lilacs, and butterfly weed. Adult female butterflies also seek out different types of plants: those that are good food sources for larvae. Once they hatch from butterfly eggs, larvae don’t move around much. They need to be located right on their food source from the time they hatch. Different species of butterflies have different preferences for this food source. Monarchs, for example, seek out milkweed. Painted ladies prefer thistles, hollyhocks, and sunflowers.

By planting native plants to attract butterflies and support larvae, your garden becomes more vibrant and interesting to visit. But it also helps to support both your region’s fragile ecosystem and our own lives, since we depend on pollinators for the production of the fruits and vegetables we need to survive.

Butterfly Gardens

August 31, 2020 by Butterfly Gardens Leave a Comment

Watching butterflies flutter around your yard is one of the joys of summer. Not only do you get to appreciate the beauty of those insects but you can take pride in knowing that you’ve created a haven–or at least a rest stop–for those stunning creatures.

Sometimes butterfly visits are just chance fly-bys. Female butterflies, in particular, often travel far as they seek suitable host plants for their eggs. But it’s easy enough to create an oasis that butterflies actively seek out. All you need to do is establish a butterfly garden.

What is a Butterfly Garden?

A butterfly garden is a space that encourages the insects to pay a visit or maybe even call home. Butterfly habitats need four things: a food source for larvae, nectar for adults, sunshine, and protection from wind.

Food Source for Larvae

Butterflies begin their lives as caterpillars (larvae). Caterpillars don’t move around very much. During this stage of their life cycle, they mainly just eat plants, storing energy for their time in their chrysalides. For this reason, female butterflies carefully choose where to lay their eggs. They will pick a plant that is a good food source for larvae, and lay their eggs on the underside of a leaf. That way, when the eggs hatch, there is a food source readily available for the larvae.

Nectar for Butterflies

After metamorphosis, when a caterpillar emerges from its pupa (chrysalis) as a butterfly, it will seek out a different food source. Butterflies consume nectar from certain flowers, such as phlox, asters, coneflowers, lilacs, and butterfly weed. When planting for butterflies, it’s important to choose a variety of plants that will flower from late spring through late fall, so that butterflies can find food throughout the entire flight season.

Sunshine

Sun is also important in a butterfly garden. Butterflies are ectotherms, meaning that their body temperature fluctuates according to their environment. Reptiles, amphibians, and fish are also ectotherms. Once upon a time, these creatures were referred to as “cold-blooded.” However, as an article in the Washington Post explains, it’s not accurate to say that these animals have cold blood. Rather, they “don’t have the ability to retain the heat generated by their metabolism.” Since muscles work better when they’re warm, ectotherms often sun themselves, collecting warmth from the sun. Butterflies do this by basking–resting on a warm surface, like a rock, with their wings outstretched. You may need to prune back large trees or shrubs if you have a small urban garden with lots of shade.

Shelter

Finally, a butterfly garden needs places where the insects can take shelter. Safe spaces are needed not just for nocturnal rest but also as havens from adverse weather and predators.

A piece in Scientific American notes that a simple rain shower can lead to injury or death for butterflies. A raindrop carries a significant amount of weight when compared to a light and delicate butterfly. And, with the dark skies and cool air generated during a rainstorm, a butterfly knocked to the ground might not be warm enough needed to take flight again.

A garden’s natural habitat usually offers several different types of shelter to butterflies such as tall grasses, shrubs, the underside of large leaves, trees, and natural depressions, like small caves. Some types of hardscaping, such as fences or hanging flower baskets, may offer butterflies places to roost as well.

Native Plants and Your Butterfly Garden

The best butterfly gardens include native plants that will nourish both larvae and adult butterflies.

Different species of butterflies prefer different food sources. While planning for your butterfly garden, research the types of butterflies that inhabit your region. The Butterflies of Ontario website is a terrific resource, as is the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility website. Once you know which butterflies you might attract, you can plan your plantings. For instance, sulphurs prefer to deposit their eggs on alfalfa or clover while monarch butterflies choose milkweed.

There are some gorgeous exotic plants that attract butterflies and that flourish in many parts of North America. Butterfly bush, which originated in China, is one example. However, because these exotic plants did not evolve as part of a region’s ecosystem, they are often unsuitable hosts for native wildlife–including butterflies and larvae.

The National Audubon Society explains it this way: “research … has shown that native oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars whereas ginkgos, a commonly planted landscape tree from Asia, host only 5 species of caterpillars. When it takes over 6,000 caterpillars to raise one brood of chickadees, that is a significant difference.”

Monarch, swallowtail, tortoiseshell, and beautiful blue butterflies all require specific native plants for their larvae. To create a butterfly garden that best supports both larvae and adult butterflies, it’s best to first determine which butterflies inhabit your area and then determine which native plants offer the most support to those insects.

Tips to Enhance Your Butterfly Garden

In addition to providing suitable native plants, sunshine, and shelter, there are other things you can do to entice butterflies to your garden. Canadian Geographic suggests:

Keep your garden natural and earth-friendly by avoiding the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.

Provide a shallow source of water, such as a birdbath.

Place some large stones in various locations, for butterflies to bask on.

Create mud puddles for male butterflies. The male insects sit on damp soil to extract minerals. You can create mud puddles for this purpose by sinking a pan, filled with soil, sand, and manure, in your garden and keeping it damp.

Why Create a Butterfly Garden?

There’s nothing wrong with creating a butterfly garden simply because you enjoy watching butterflies. But, creating a haven for the insects has all kinds of benefits, as outlined on the Butterfly Conservation website:

Butterflies and moths are an important part of our planet’s biodiversity. There are over 250,000 different species of butterflies and moths, making up about one-quarter of all named species.
Since the study of butterflies has a long history, there is a large mine of data available on the insects. This has proven valuable for scientific research, particularly on habitat loss and climate change. Butterflies add immensely to our understanding of the world’s ecosystem and biodiversity.
Areas that are populated by butterflies are typically populated by other invertebrates as well. As a group, these invertebrates provide many environmental benefits, including pollination and natural pest control.
Butterflies (sadly) are an important part of the food chain, as a food source to various predators, such as birds and bats.

Butterfly gardens provide the food, nectar, sunshine, and shelter that butterflies and their larvae require throughout their lifecycle. By creating such a space, you invite butterflies into your yard–for a visit or to call home. While many people create butterfly gardens simply for the joy of watching the insects flutter around, butterflies are an important part of the ecosystem. Providing a safe butterfly habitat has benefits for all of us here on Planet Earth.