In an earlier article, you learn a little about how to get started on butterfly gardening, such as what kind of flowers to plant and what colors. In this article, you can learn more about butterfly gardening, such as location and sunlight.
The design possibilities for a butterfly gardening are almost endless. You can be as creative as you would like. Of course, for learning more about butterfly gardening, here are a few things you should consider looking into.
First of all, you should find out the species of butterflies in your area. This should be done before beginning your butterfly garden, so that you will now what to include. Take a walk or hike around your area and examine the butterflies that are around. You can take a butterfly identification book with you (which you can check out of the library), print-outs from the internet, or snap a few pictures and identify them in a book or on a website later. Yes, this may take a little time and effort, but in the end this can help with your butterfly garden. Once you identify your butterfly species, you can make a list of them and find out which ones are attracted to food plants and nectar.
You will also need to know what kind of location to plant your butterfly garden in. Butterflies are cold-blooded, so they will need to be in a location where they will be warm and sheltered. Therefore, it is a good idea to plant your butterfly garden in a location where they will be able to get atleast six hour of sunlight per day.
When learning more about butterfly gardening, another tip would be to protect the butterflies from the wind. When choosing a warm and sheltered location for your garden, you want to also choose a location where heavy winds hitting your garden can be avoided. For extra protection, or if you cannot avoid the heavy winds, you can also create a wind break by planting tall plants and shrubs around the butterfly garden.
Another tip would be to set up an area for your butterfly garden and building a stone wall around it. If possible, you can even create a gravel pathway to and around the garden. Then not only will you keep your garden safe from the wind, but you can step on the garden pathway to avoid walking in any mud or wet grass.
So you basically need to plant your butterfly garden on the side of your home that will get the most sun, as well as windbreaks from all directions (such as the east and west sides). This way, you can be sure your garden is getting the sunlight it needs, as well as staying safe from the wind.
If it possible and safe for the butterflies and butterfly garden, you can also plant the garden near a window and maybe even provide some seating outside near the garden as well. This way, you can get a nice view of the butterflies and their garden from both indoors and outdoors.
These are just a few suggestions for anyone who would like to learn more about butterfly garden. However and wherever you decide to plant your butterfly garden, take your time on designing and planting it. This way you can be sure it will be safe and healthy, and you can enjoy the view of the butterflies when you are done!
