One can experience the beauty of nature in their garden by introducing butterflies and humming birds. They have a place in the garden and will bring a certain joy that is uplifting.
As well as being wonderful to watch, butterflies have a purpose. They seek flowers with nectar. Just like the bees, they sip the nectar and are helpful in transferring the pollen from flower to flower. This is especially helpful in fruit trees where pollination is required.
Butterflies are attracted to scents and smells. Certain kinds of flowers will give off a fragrance that they are attracted to. Not only do butterflies need food, they also need a lot of sunlight. The best location for your butterfly garden is one that gets at least five to six hours of sunlight each day as they need the sun to stay warm. The warmth of the sun helps them fly as they are cold blooded creatures. One will notice more butterflies moving from flower to flower on sunny days.
Hummingbirds are more visual and are attracted mostly to shades of red. Many red colored flowers are a good source of nectar for nature’s tiny bird.
The more sheltered the garden, the more butterflies and hummingbirds one will attract. They don’t want to be constantly fighting the wind to stay on the plants. They also need water to survive. A birdbath in a sunny location works well. Most important, do not use any pesticides as they may kill the butterfly larvae as well as insect food sources for the hummingbirds.
There are many plants that are among the best for attracting butterflies. One of the best annual flowers to attract butterflies is any of the pansy hybrids as it is considered to be a high nectar plant. Others include the ageratum, scented stocks, nicotiana, heliotrope, nasturtium, petunia, cosmos and snapdragon. Some of the perennials that will attract butterflies include yarrow, hollyhock, columbine, tickseed, dianthus, purple coneflower, coral bells, shasta daisy, beebalm, summer phlox, rudebeckia, salvia, sedum and thyme. Shrubs include the cotoneaster, spiraea, potentilla and lilac.
There are fewer choices of plants to choose from for hummingbirds. The will be attracted to red flowering annual plants such as tuberous begonia, nicotiana, fuchia, mimulus and salvia. Hollyhock and delphinium are among the best perennial flowers to attract the hummingbirds. The dropmore scarlet honeysuckle vine is among the best for hummingbird sightings.
There are various types of hummingbird feeders available on the market today. Remember that they are attracted to red and to hang the feeder in a location that is sheltered from the wind and preferably in the sun.
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