Our Heavenly Haven for Butterflies and Hummers

In this photo you see our very long flower bed that extends the entire width of the back yard. We finally have it all planted with perennials now, except for a few favorite annuals I enjoy planting each spring for color spots AND added attractions for butterflies and hummers. Not shown in this photo are two very showy butterfly bushes {Buddleia Davidii} in this same flower bed -- one with blossoms of deep burgundy and one that produces fragrant pink blossoms. The buddleias don't usually bloom until mid-June in our area. When in full bloom, Western Tiger Swallowtails, Sulphurs, Painted Ladies, Cabbage Whites, an occasional Monarch, and several other species of "flying flowers" have a grand feast! Next to the buddleias and in the foreground of this photo is a spectacular climbing rose called "Joseph's Coat." It is currently sporting dozens of blossom bouquets in a gorgeous array of mixed hues ranging from pale yellow-orange-pink. The butterflies are very attracted to this climber, as they can easily perch on the flat flower blossoms to imbibe nectar.

Moving farther south are two azaleas which were both planted during the first year; they produce stunning blossoms of peach and coral every spring. Hummingbirds are very attracted to these blossoms as they are tubular-shaped and nectar-rich. About midway in this bed is our Peace Climbing Rose with sporting 25-30 spectacular roses in full bloom as I write. Some of these roses are six inches across and all of them are ever so fragrant. We are blessed to have a nice variety of butterflies visit this flower bed throughout the summer months.

Although our back yard flower bed is quite lengthy, it's great for the butterflies and hummers as they have easy access to the flower blossoms. This is an important aspect to think about when planning your own butterfly and hummer garden. Butterflies also seek cover during inclement weather, as they are cold-blooded insects and unable to fly when temperatures are too cold. In this flower bed there is plenty of lush foliage on which they can sometimes be seen sitting perfectly still on a cool windy day, just waiting for the warm sunshine to return. On Memorial Day which was very cold and windy, we spotted this awesome Western Tiger Swallowtail hanging from one of the branches on our Pink Flowering Almond bush. It remained there for most of that day, which fortunately

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