The other day I stopped dead in my tracks as a beautiful orange, black and white butterfly looped and fluttered among the plants along the side of my apartment building. It was so beautiful and peaceful to watch. After a quick internet search, I learned that the butterfly I most likely saw was the relatively common, Painted Lady Butterfly. Common or not, it got me thinking about attracting more of its kind.
Photo by Wildlifeshot
Of course, there are many good reasons to lure butterflies to your garden, least of which is that butterflies are beautiful. Butterflies, like bees, pollinate plants. Some plants rely almost exclusively on butterfly pollination. Butterflies are also an important food source for song birds.
Why not try this window box idea from Better Homes & Gardens? It features Salvia, a butterfly favorite.
A. Petunia ‘Supertunia Royal Velvet’ — 4
B. Salvia guarantica ‘Black and Blue’ — 2
C. Angelonia ‘Serena Lavender’ — 2
D. Nierembergia ‘Purple Robe’ — 6
E. Nemesia ‘Blue Lagoon’ — 6
If you plant a few windows in close proximity to one another, you’ll have a better chance of getting a butterfly or two to take notice. Be sure to check out BH&G’s other butterfly container recipes.
Another great way to attract the butterflies local to your area is to find out which native plants they like, and create a container or two featuring those plants. If you Google the words “butterfly,” “garden” and your state or region, you should be able to drum up a page from a local university that will give you authoritative advice on what to plant in your area.