One Butterfly and Hummer Gardener's Success Story!
I had no plans whatsoever as to design or layout. All I knew was that I wanted perennial beds everywhere, along with some shrubs, ground cover, and a nice pond. I didn't want the basic look of evergreens all around the house. The front yard was the first area I decided to plant; the back yard had to wait until two years later.
How large is your developed garden area now, Terri?
My gardens total approximately one-third of our acre of land at this point.
Did you choose most of your plantings to specifically attract both butterflies and hummingbirds?
Originally, I basically planned my gardens for just butterflies. However, I wasn't very far into creating them when I decided to include flowers that would also encourage butterflies to lay their eggs nearby. By that time, I also knew I wanted to attract hummingbirds.
How did you know which flowers or plants would serve as the best attractants for hummers and butterflies?
During the winter months, I read many books that specialized in butterfly and hummingbird gardening. Every week, one of my clients who worked at Rodale Press brought me at least two or three great books that covered all aspects of gardening. I also went to our local garden center to observe the butterflies. While there, I learned a lot about which flowers butterflies seemed most attracted to.
Please share a few species of nectar-rich flowers you planted that proved to be good attractants to butterflies.
Buddleia (B. davidii) are definitely my favorites, especially the pink varieties. I have found that those having blue blossoms don't attract as many butterflies as those with pink flowers. My garden also contains Monarda, Cleome, Cosmos, and also Asclepias of two different types--the orange flowering variety and the "Ice Plant" that has little white flowers.
Other flowers I really enjoy, and that also attract both butterflies and hummers, include daylilies, Oriental Lilies, and Asian Lilies. Throughout my gardens I've also planted many other perennials such as Chrysanthemums, Asters, Yucca, Phlox, Hosta, and Ostrich ferns.
Did you also plant host plants for caterpillars in your garden?
Actually, I didn't need to plant many host plants. I just left some of the Queen Anne's Lace, wild Yarrow, and Joe Pyeweed that were already in my garden area. Joe-pye weed is a type of milkweed that attracts Tiger Swallowtails. However, I
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