Part of the charm of any garden is seeing a wide variety of wildlife. Many creatures will make your garden their home, from birds to butterflies and all kinds of bugs. Of course, some creatures are not as welcome as others – few gardeners are pleased to see snails, slugs and aphids, for example. But you can attract the right wildlife that can actually boost the health of your garden.
Butterflies make a beautiful addition to any garden and, with so many colourful varieties, are one of the world’s most popular insects. They are also important for maintaining the eco-system within your garden and for pollinating your plants. Many types of flowers attract butterflies, including buddleia, lavender, red valerian and sweet rocket. Here’s how you could attract these beautiful creatures to your garden:
Go easy on harsh pesticides. Certain pesticides will kill butterflies. Find out more natural alternatives.
Have a lot of colour. Butterflies are attracted to flowers that are white, pink, purple, red, yellow and orange.
Have bigger flowers too. Even though most small varieties of butterflies can adjust easily on small flowers, make sure to plant some flower varieties with sturdy stems and more room to attract bigger butterflies.
Have the right host plants. Caterpillars need to feed on host plants. Some of them, like fennel and milkweed, sustain different butterfly species.
Offer water sources. China saucers and plates placed around in the garden create pretty water sources.
Keep big stones. Large stones provide perches for the butterflies to warm their wings.
Garden wall will help. If you live in an area that is too windy, butterflies will find it hard to land on the flowers. They will feel much more secure if your garden has a wall.