Butterflies love large, open, sun-filled areas. Butterflies like flowers, they need some food sources and they need shelter. (puddles and rocks are great)

You might think about planting an herb garden if you enjoy herbs – many butterfly species do too. Reserving a section of your yard for native flowering plants and for weeds like dandelion, nettle, and milkweed should also help guarantee a good variety of butterflies. It’s best to avoid using any pesticides if you are attempting to attract butterflies.

It is important to note that very few butterfly species cause harm to garden plants. If caterpillars become a nuisance – for instance, if cabbage whites are decimating your nasturtiums – picking the larvae off by hand is not a difficult task.

To make butterfly nectar, mix 4 parts water with 1 part organic cane sugar and boil for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves. Cool the nectar thoroughly before adding it to the feeder. Large batches can be made and stored in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. This nectar recipe can also be used for hummingbird feeders.

Butterflies can’t drink from birdbaths or other open water, but give them a damp spot of wet sand or dirt ( a puddle) and they’ll often flock around it. In some species of butterflies, young bachelor butterflies most commonly exhibit “puddling” behavior.

Butterflies need shelter from predators and wind. Ideal are hedges; groups of small trees or shrubs; or walls, fences, trellises covered with vines. Possible plantings include honeysuckle and butterfly bushes; and for vines, passion flower, pipevine, or hops.