| Butterflies are very beautiful to watch as they flit | | | | and once again you'll have some beautiful |
| and float all over the place, as if they have no | | | | butterflies to watch. Some of the most popular |
| cares in the world. Butterflies hold a sense of | | | | plants for caterpillars are alfalfa, clover, milkweed |
| delight and wonder for all ages. Bring some of | | | | and peas. |
| that delight and wonder to your garden by | | | | 3) Provide a sunny spot. Butterflies are |
| creating a butterfly garden. | | | | cold-blooded and need the sun in order to warm |
| Butterfly gardens can be any size, from small | | | | themselves up. Plus, butterflies prefer to visit |
| patches of flowers to large flower beds. The | | | | flowers that are in the sun, since they are able to |
| most important aspect of creating a butterfly | | | | keep warm and obtain nourishment at the same |
| garden is to research what butterflies are native | | | | time. |
| to your area and concentrate on attracting those | | | | 4) Create shelter. Butterflies need a calm place to |
| butterflies. Next, find out which plants or flowers | | | | rest, a place without a lot of wind or breeze. |
| attract those butterflies and plant the ones that | | | | Shrubs or small bushes suit this need well. |
| are native to your area. | | | | 5) Avoid pesticides. There are two main ways |
| Here's a list of seven essential elements to include | | | | that pesticides affect butterflies. First, as |
| when creating a butterfly garden. | | | | caterpillars. If the caterpillars can't survive, then |
| 1) Have plants in your garden or yard that will | | | | they will never turn into butterflies. Second, |
| attract butterflies. Some of the most popular | | | | butterflies also eat insects. If the insects have |
| plants are buddleia, milkweed, a butterfly bush | | | | ingested pesticides then so will the butterflies |
| (planted where it will get plenty of sunshine), | | | | when they eat these insects. |
| lavender, thistle, wildflowers and herbs such as | | | | 6) Have a source of water handy, such as a |
| chives. The butterflies feed on the nectar of the | | | | birdbath or even sand that is soaked with water. |
| plants, so the more nectar that a flower | | | | The sand should be soaked, but not submerged in |
| produces, the more butterflies that flower will | | | | the water. The butterflies will sit on the sand and |
| attract. | | | | drink the water underneath it. |
| 2) Have plants that will provide food for | | | | 7) Have rest spots for the butterflies - they get |
| caterpillars. Butterflies will stay longer if there are | | | | tired too! Rocks are perfect for this task. Plus, |
| plants handy for them to lay their eggs on. | | | | when the rocks are in the sun, it allows the |
| Caterpillars will emerge from the eggs when they | | | | butterflies to warm up on a cool morning. |
| hatch and the caterpillars will need a food source | | | | By combining all of these elements together, you |
| nearby. In a short period of time, the caterpillars | | | | will be successful in attracting butterflies to your |
| will form cocoons and emerge as new butterflies | | | | garden. |