Create Your Own Butterfly Garden - Here's How

Here's a great summer project to get the kids involved in: create a butterfly garden.

A butterfly garden is simply a garden that attracts butterflies. When you plant a butterfly garden correctly and create a safe haven for butterflies and caterpillars, you will have frequent visits from these majestic and colorful creatures. And because many of the plants and flowers that butterflies love are particularly fragrant, you'll have a garden that is a treat for your nose, too.

Butterflies don't care so much about the aesthetics of your garden as a whole, but there are certain plants that will attract butterflies more than others, and there are even certain types of plants that will attract certain species of butterflies.

Before you plant, do some research into exactly which kinds of flowers and plants will attract the butterflies you like the most. Which butterflies live in your region? Of these, which are your favorites? Ask your kids to choose a couple of different species that they would like to attract to the family garden.

Once everyone has agreed on which types of butterflies you most want to attract, plan a garden that includes the corresponding plants and flowers. As you do this, you'll want to pay attention to the ways your flowers coordinate for human eyes, as well.

Draw and color an illustration of your garden so you can make sure that your colors and textures of your flowers will go together. Do you like flashy gardens, filled with reds, yellows, and oranges, or do you prefer something relaxing and refreshing, with blues and purples?

Your butterflies will love some kind of water feature, and you will probably want to make sure to include native grasses and plants. Trees and shrubbery add visual interest to the garden and will also offer a place for the butterflies to retreat from stormy weather.

Butterflies will be particularly drawn to places that create a safe haven for their larva, so make sure that your butterfly garden is caterpillar friendly.

Here are some flowers and plants to consider. These are plants that butterflies have been known to be particularly drawn to, but you will need to do some research specific to your region before you plant.

Here's a quick list to get you started:

- Honeysuckle
- Sunflowers
- Milkweed
- Herbs (especially dill, fennel, parsley)
- Butterfly Bush
- Summer Lilac
- Daisies
- Yellow Sage
- Lavender
- Purple Coneflower
- Day Lilies
- Snapdragons,
- Lupine
- Bee Balm

Once you plant, you will want to keep artificial chemicals and pesticides to a minimum, to keep your garden safe for the butterflies.

It's important to be patient, too. You may not have a lot of butterflies over the first season, but keep at it and you will attract more and more each year as your flowers and plants mature.