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Butterfly Gardening in the Ozarks with Wildflowers

© Naomi Mathews

Are you a flower gardener blessed to be living in the beautiful Ozarks? Have you ever yearned to have a mass of "flying flowers" frequent your flower garden, but have never known just how to accomplish this?

Then take heart, my friend! Attracting butterflies to backyard gardens is much easier than you might think. Of course, like any other worthwhile project, it will require a bit of planning and effort on your part.

Butterfly gardening has become increasingly popular in the last ten years, and is being encouraged by wildlife conservationists in the Ozarks. Because of residential and commercial development, some natural wildlife habitats in the Ozarks are being seriously depleted.

One way gardeners can help restore these habitats is by planting wildflower gardens. Fortunately, from the prairies to the plains and throughout the hills of the Ozarks, a wide assortment of lovely wildflowers can still be seen growing and blooming. Many of these species can be grown by the home gardener in their backyard gardens. Best of all, these wildflowers are sought after by both butterflies and hummingbirds because they are an excellent source of nectar.

Using native wildflowers for residential landscaping is now becoming more and more popular, especially in the Ozarks. There are several reasons why. Wildflowers have had hundreds of years to adapt to the climate and soils in the Ozarks, making them easy for either the novice or experienced gardener to grow. After native plants are established, they require less care from the gardener, such as watering, fertilizing, and disease control. Since insecticides are deadly to butterflies and their caterpillars, native plants are a wise investment for aspiring butterfly gardeners.

A word of caution. Please don't head for the hills, prairies or plains to pluck up wildflowers to plant in your garden!! Many retail garden stores and nurseries now sell both wildflower seeds and native plant seedlings to help the wildflower gardener get started. Why not stop in at the Garden Escape, where you can purchase both butterfly and hummingbird wildflower seeds right here on the 'Net? You could plant some of these seeds in indoor containers in late February or early March, then transplant them to your garden in early spring. Doing this will give you a great head start on next year's wildflower garden.

When you've become a successful butterfly gardener, you will not only reap many benefits for yourself, but also for future generations. You will experience firsthand the magic of watching Eastern tailed-blue butterflies, fluttering Great Spangled fritillaries, or perhaps a dainty American Lady imbibing nectar from your fragrant wildflower blossoms. In addition, you will be making a vital impact to the natural landscape of the Ozarks, as butterflies are expert plant pollinators.