Designing a garden to attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Designing a garden to attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies

One of the most beautiful gardening designs incorporates plants and structures to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. These colorful creatures add a wonderful natural touch to a garden and landscape. Hummingbirds, with their colorful bodies and fast-flitting flight, are a delightful contrast to the multi-colored butterflies who move slow enough to be caught by hand.

Hummingbird feeders are one popular way to attract these tiny birds. You can stake a cane-shaped pole in the middle of your garden to hold a feeder, or just hang the feeder from a tree branch. But the most fun way is to select flowers that the hummers naturally enjoy. That delights the birds and adds color to your garden.

You have many choices, though there are some limitations depending on your zone. One excellent option is a Red Columbine, which will thrive in zones 2-8. Their color adds to your garden and they bloom early, making them a perfect attractant for those hummers returning after the end of Winter.

Delphiniums are another great choice for gardening design. Hardy from zones 2 through 9, they can grow up to five feet tall, making them perfect for the rear of a garden near the house. You'll have a great view, without being too close to these nervous little girls and the flowers come in a variety of colors. You can't go wrong!

Hummers and butterflies can easily occupy the same space. To attract the latter you can plant a verbena bush, or hang a fuchsia depending on whether you have sun or shade. Butterfly bushes, appropriately named, are another popular choice useful especially for attracting swallowtails.

Marigolds make for great butterfly nectar-producing flowers and their lovely color adds a bright splash to your design. Sunflowers are another favorite and you can use the seeds to feed other birds or even squirrels.

Which flower you choose will be influenced also by which butterfly species you want to attract, but they will still need to be native to your area. Monarchs like Rabbitbrush and Canada Thistle, Swallowtails like Geraniums and Lilacs. Queen butterflies are very fond of daisies. Gray Hairstreak is favored by many different species.

Take care if you want to keep your plants attractive to butterflies. Many common insecticides will do more than just kill bugs that eat the leaves, they'll make them toxic to butterflies as well.

You may also find there are common wildflowers that butterflies like, such as Dandelions. They have an attractive flower for both human and butterfly, but they tend to get out of control, as the flowers change into seed balls that are blown by the wind. Also, some weeds (certain kinds of milkweed and thistles) are great butterfly food, but they can be invasive and some areas require they be plucked regularly.

It's easy to add a dynamic look to your garden design by bringing it even more alive. Add some flowers to feed the hummingbirds and butterflies. They'll give you hours of viewing pleasure.