Outdoor living place is always one of the most exhilarating spots that you can enjoy with all family members and friends. From simply enjoying some cups of tea to a fun outdoor party, you can do almost everything once you have an enjoyable outdoor space.
Watching colorful butterflies flying here and there is definitely a wonderful experience. Therefore, having them beautifying your backyard is a good idea that you can consider.
Not only enjoyable to watch, but butterflies also help to pollinate your garden. They can naturally maintain your garden in a very natural way.
If you are planning on having a butterfly garden, obviously, the garden itself should attract the butterflies to come around. It means that you have to add some plantations that the butterflies love.
Turning your outdoor living space into a mesmerizing butterfly habitat is not actually a tricky job. You can create it all by yourself without any helps from a pro.
(You may also like: Check Out 5 Easy Ways on How to Keep Chipmunks Out of Garden)
You just have to check out this simple tutorial on how to make a butterfly garden below that you can follow easily!
How to Make a Butterfly Garden | Simple Tutorial
By having a butterfly garden, you also become a part of their conversation. The butterfly garden is always a worth-to-consider plan when you want to have a more entertaining outdoor living space.
Dig Some Research
First thing first, let’s find out what kind of butterflies that live around your neighborhood. It will determine what kinds of plantations that they like that you have to plant in your garden.
- You can do online research since there are a lot of sites that provide this kind of information like http://thebutterlysite.com
- If you prefer to have a real conversation, then you can visit the local horticulturists or gardeners.
- After you have known some species of butterflies and what they eat, then you can start deciding the plants that you want to decorate your butterfly garden.
Pick the Right Location
You have to pick the perfect spot around your garden where you want to plant some flowers and plantations for butterflies. As a cold-blooded animal, you have to choose the area which feels warm enough for them.
- Pick the spot in your backyard which is exposed to sunlight for at least 5 hours a day.
- The area should be sufficient enough to provide shelter from wind, so you may want to leave at least one tree or some shrubs.
- Make sure that the area is not covered by too many tall grasses that can block the sunlight.
(You may also like: How to Build a Fire Pit Patio with Pavers Tutorial with Only 6 Steps)
Add Puddling Station
Butterflies also need some sources of water, but they can’t drink from open water. Therefore, you can add some puddling stations around your garden to enhance the attraction for them. Since butterflies also love saltiness, you can season the stations with some salt.
Prepare these supplies:
- Shallow dish
- Sand or gravel
- Freshwater
- Salt
Follow these steps:
- Fill the dish with sand or gravel.
- Add water to the sand, make it muddy enough. Do not make it like a pool.
- Sprinkle a small amount of salt.
- Place the stations on the sunny area which is protected from the wind.
(Check this out: How to Weed a Garden Tutorial with Only 6 Simple Steps)
Start Planting
After you have purchased the plants for your butterfly garden, now it’s time to plant them. The rule of thumb is that butterflies love nectar-producing plants since they feed on them. The ones with brightly-colored appearance will also attract them more.
Some popular plants that most species of butterfly love are zinnia, butterfly weed, purple coneflower, cosmos, ironweed, phlox, lantana, and aster. Remember, you also have to provide plants for the butterflies to lay their eggs and the caterpillars to eat like milkweed, dill, and parsley.
- Make sure that the soil in your garden has abundant nutrition.
- As alternatives, you can also plant the flowers on the raised bed when the soil is hard to balance and you can use containers if you have limited space.
- You can add compost to fertilize your garden so the plants will grow perfectly.
(Read also: How to Get Rid of Garden Snakes Safely and Easily with Only 3 Steps)
Do Not Use Pesticides
You have to stop the use of pesticides when you want your garden filled with beautiful butterflies. Pesticides can harm or kill them. They are sensitive to this chemical, so they may not go back to your garden once they know that you use pesticides to control the pests.
Moreover, organic pest control products are still dangerous for them. They won’t feed on plants even with that kind of pest control.
Here’s what you can do to control the pests in your garden without harming the butterflies:
- Shield the flowers and plantations which particularly provide food sources for the butterflies when you have to use the pesticides.
- Do not use pesticides for preventive treatment, only use it when you find the harmful pests invasion.
- If you spot some large insects, you can simply handpick them and throw them away.
- If you are willing enough, you can use floating row covers to protect the plants.
(Recommended to read: Check Out These 5 Simple Steps on How to Keep Birds Out of Garden)
So those are the steps that you have to follow when you have a plan to turn your backyard into a beautiful butterfly garden. The tutorial on how to make butterfly garden above is specifically made for DIYers, so you can finish the project all by yourself which also won’t cost you a lot.
Though the maintenance of the butterfly backyard needs some extra efforts, it’s really worth it. Your efforts will be paid by a gorgeously entertaining experience that you can enjoy with your family and friends.
So, let’s build your very own butterfly garden right away!
