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Butterflies for the Win!

August 7, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 18 Comments

attracting butterflies to your gardenSince moving to Fayetteville, I’ve been working to attract butterflies to my garden. I’m happy to report, my game plan is working. I have lots of little white cabbage butterflies, and earlier in the spring I noticed a giant swallowtail caterpillar. The swallowtail recently made her appearance. swallowtail butterfly

Here’s another beauty. Butterflies are fast, and my camera is not.

fast swallowtail!

I saw our first monarch, too! (Sorry, blurry. Sneaking up on a butterfly is tricky business.)

my first monarch!

We basically started with a bare sunny spot off the back of the porch and a very sunny front yard. I’m pleased at the progress we’ve made in only one spring season and half of our first summer.

Here are a few simple tips that have helped me attract butterflies to my garden.

1. Grow flowering, native plants. Butterflies prefer native plants so be sure to incorporate a few natives in your garden. According to Audubon Arkansas, flowers native to our state include asters, bee balm, black-eyed Susan, blanketflower, butterfly weed, cardinal flower, cornflower, coreopsis, gay feather, indigo, Joe Pye weed, milkweed, phlox, and sunflower. (The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, maintains a list of native plants by state. Click HERE to view.)

plant milkweed to attract monarchs

2. Bright Colors and tight blossoms are key. Butterflies are attracted to most any bright color especially red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple. They can see colors we can’t see and communicate using ultraviolet light. Blossoms clustered tightly together make it easier for them to get to the nectar.

butterflies in the garden

3. Give them Sun and Water. Adult butterflies prefer to feed in the sun and love to sunbathe on flat open spaces. And while it may seem strange to worry about providing water for your butterflies, they do need a water source. They will drink water from puddles that form on your walkways and water that pools on leaves and plants. Of course, a little goes a long way. Morning dew and water from your regular garden watering routine are typically sufficient, but still, this is something to keep in mind during the long hot summer.

the Butterfly Garden

4. Stagger Blooms. Choose plants so that when one early summer blooming plant has fizzled out, another is just beginning to bloom. Curious what to plant? Take a look at this article from Westwood Gardens about butterfly plants for Northwest Arkansas.

Beautiful Butterfly, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

5. Avoid Insecticides. Avoiding insecticides is the safest policy for bees, birds and butterflies.

Here’s a shot of my huge Swallowtail caterpillar. They love to feed on dill, so I let mine go to seed. The seed heads are pretty too.

how to attract butterflies - Swallowtail Catepillar

 

swallowtail butterfly

Grace Grits and Gardening ✿
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Basic Tips for Attracting #Butterflies! @monarchwatch @monarchconserve @MonroviaPlants #gardenchat[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Mindy Gledhill, I Take Flight

Filed Under: Gardening, Nature & Seasons Tagged With: butterflies, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, milkweed, native plants, Westwood Gardens

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Comments

  1. Debbie says

    August 7, 2015 at 9:30 am

    Beautiful!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      August 7, 2015 at 7:26 pm

      Thank you Debbie! I love watching them.

      Reply
  2. Laurie says

    August 7, 2015 at 11:42 am

    GORGEOUS! That little butterfly just above the swallowtail caterpillar is precious! Looks like lace. 🙂 Thanks for all these tips. I love my shady trees, but I do want to find a good spot to start making a butterfly garden… next year.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      August 7, 2015 at 7:29 pm

      That was my problem in Dallas – too much shade (although I loved my trees). I’m happy to be able to do some sun gardening now. Yes, I think that one looks like lace too.

      Reply
  3. Colene says

    August 7, 2015 at 11:47 am

    I love watching and photographing butterflies too. You have made great strides in your yard in such a short time. Do you have a butterfly book yet? If not, I would highly recommend National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      August 7, 2015 at 7:30 pm

      I’ll have to get that book. Thanks Colene!

      Reply
  4. Dorothy Johnson says

    August 7, 2015 at 11:55 am

    I can’t wait to see your yard in bloom and your butterflies. Your photos are great. I learned some things today. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      August 7, 2015 at 7:31 pm

      Thanks, Dorothy. The heat is beginning to take its toll, but fall is around the corner.

      Reply
  5. Lyn fenwick says

    August 7, 2015 at 2:45 pm

    The swallowtail loves dill…I know because one butterfly laid enough eggs to wipe out my entire planting in one day…next te plant more dill!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      August 7, 2015 at 7:31 pm

      So true Lyn! My swallowtail love my dill plant. I’ll be planting more dill and milkweed next spring for sure.

      Reply
  6. Barbara thompson says

    August 7, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Congratulations on your publisher acceptance. Great job and exciting future.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      August 7, 2015 at 7:32 pm

      Thank you so much, Barbara!!

      Reply
  7. Erika Swafford says

    August 7, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    What an inspiring post! I want to create a butterfly garden now, too! Thank you for the excellent tips and beautiful photos.

    Reply
  8. Annelle says

    August 9, 2015 at 8:35 am

    Inspiring!!

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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