5 steps to attract birds, butterflies and pollinators to your garden
Here are a few simple delights our winged friends will find irresistible in your garden buffet !
1.Provide fast food nectar
They love an “all you can eat buffet“ of a cluster of colorful native plants on the most wanted fast food nectar list. Most gardens that have a range of blooming native flowers are sun loving much like their winged visitors. So your sunny garden buffet will thrive best located in a sunny spot that gets at least 6 hours of full sun. Here’s a list of a few “happy meals“ to put on your menu: For purples and blues: Greggs Mist (one of my favs for monarchs!) it’s sure to bring repeat customers!
Salvia duhlberg, butterfly bush, plumbago, indigo spires, lavender, all salvias and purple lantana, To compliment your Purples and blues, pair it with yellows, oranges and reds. Here are just few delightful ones: Esperanza, pride of Barbados, batface cuphea, salvia greggii, bulbine, new gold lantana, skullcap, purple cone flower, sunflowers. To add some fragrance and evergreens consider lavender, mint, santonila, artemisia lambs ear, Rosemary, thyme and Oregano. Remember every butterfly was once a caterpillar so add in food for caterpillars too! No time to plant but want birds…. Don’t forget bird feeders are a great way to attract birds quickly. (More on this in future blogs …stay tuned)
2. Offer a beverage
Add a bird bath for bathing and sipping. Rain ponds and dry river beds are a beautiful way to add water that pools after a rain and then trickles down increasing the water table in your garden and lawn. Use Carefully selected boulders that have textures for pooling of water this creates the “puddling“ that butterflies love.
3. Add shelter
Evergreen trees and shrubs, understory and shade trees, birdhouses and even roses or vines growing on garden arches provide places for nesting. Be sure to Leave some “wild areas” for pollinators to have undisturbed spaces for private romantic dwellings.
4. Make it all organic
Using all organic products will invite beneficial insects such as ladybugs, praying mantis and other helpful garden critters that help control the bad Bugs that can destroy a garden. (Stay tuned for more on the good, bad and ugly bugs later) Using all these elements of colorful native plants for nectar, water, food and shelter there is sure to be a long line of winged friends at your garden buffet and bed and breakfast!
5. Add a bench or seating area
Finally…. add a bench or seating area to sit quietly and watch the airshow as these great aviation marvels entertain. Grab your camera! One might even decide to land on your shoulder and express gratitude by sneaking a butterfly kiss!
