Photo via http://ow.ly/Ofeom
Did you know that certain types of flowers are naturally attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees? There are dozens of them! Other flowers are repellent to unwanted insects such as aphids, beetles, and flies. I believe that selecting flowers that naturally attract or repel critters contributes to the health and beauty of your garden. Take a look at some examples of both types of flowers!
Making Your Garden Attractive to Butterflies, Birds, and Other Interesting Animals
If you want a few monarch butterflies to stop by your garden, try planning a collection of black-eyed Susan flowers. These bright yellow blooms flourish in full sunlight. Sometimes the leaves of black-eyed Susans can grow to be six inches long. In late summer, you may notice a few American goldfinches landing on your flowers to peck at the prickly brown center. This food source helps them to build up their strength for the cold weather months. Another flower that attracts butterflies is butterfly weed. But this flower is anything but a weed. Its orange petals and plentiful nectar are irresistible to both butterflies and hummingbirds. These blooms grow best when they receive full sunlight in well-drained soil. Butterfly weed can grow to be one to two feet in height. If you like walking in your garden at dusk, you may want to plant some garden phlox. This bloom attracts both bats and rabbits. Put your garden phlox in well-drained soil that gets a lot of sun. This flower is available in purple, pink, blue, red, and white, adding a ton of color to your landscape.
Photo via http://ow.ly/Ofdqz
Flowers That Repel Unwanted Creatures
If you want to keep the mosquitoes and aphids at bay, try planting some marigolds in your garden. Rabbits are also repelled by the scent of this lovely flower. Be sure to plant your marigolds in well-drained soil where they can enjoy full sun. You may want to deadhead these flowers on occasion to refresh their growth. Lavender is another example of a flower that repels certain insects. These bright purple flowers are a beautiful addition to any garden, and I happen to be a big fan of their fragrance. Interestingly, it’s the fragrance of this drought-resistant plant that repels several types of pests, including mosquitoes and houseflies. Plant your lavender seeds in a sunny area with well-drained soil to promote sturdy root growth. If you have a squash bug problem in your garden, a collection of petunias may be the solution. Get some of these popular blooms in red, pink, white, or purple to dress up your garden and keep the squash bugs away. These flowers love sunny areas and need very little maintenance. Leafhoppers, asparagus beetles, and aphids are a few of the other insects that are put off by petunias.
Lavender and marigolds look great together and act as a repellent against mosquitoes. Photo via http://ow.ly/Ofdap
Some of the flowers that repel insects also attract butterflies and other appealing critters. Marigolds and lavender are two examples of flowers that do double-duty! I hope you have a wonderful time designing your new garden.