Butterflies in the Heartlands

Happy May Day from the Heartlands!!! With May Day here our thoughts turn to preparing our vegetables and flower gardens. As you are planning out your gardens take time to plan out a spot in your garden for butterflies. Butterflies can be found in almost any part of the Heartlands. Watching and trying to attract butterflies to a garden has become a very popular and enjoyable pasttime. Inviting butterflies into your garden and yard is very easy if you follow a few simple steps to meet the basic needs of a butterfly.

We will start our discussion with water, which is one of the basic needs of butterflies. Butterflies are always on the lookout for a nice watering hole. They like to drink in groups out of shallow saucers or puddles. If you are going to use a birdbath or a saucer for your water hole put a few flat stones inside where the butterflies can rest and sun themselves while drinking. The best watering holes are puddles you make yourself in the ground. Dig a shallow hole in the ground. Mix some sand, soil and pebbles together. Use this mixture to fill the shallow hole. Then, fill the hole with water until it's puddly. Be sure to check the puddle from time to time, to see that there is enough water in the hole.

Shelter and sun combine together for another basic need of the butterfly. The tree and shrubs you plant will protect the butterflies from the weather elements, such as high winds. The sheltered sights will supply warmth in the spring and fall for the butterlies. They need warmth from sheltered areas and the sun to recharge their energy batteries. On a cool morning observe a butterfly while they slowly open and close their wings. This is called, basking. Basking is how the cold blooded butterflies get their solar energy. A great idea to do in your butterfly area is to spot flat dark colored stones around for the butterflies to bask on.

The last basic need of butterflies is food. We will discuss the food and plants butterflies require for their larval stage and nectar plants for the adult stage in part two of this article next month. I will also include a list of plants that are native and common to the Heartlands in part two. While you are waiting for the second part of this article sit back and study your garden area to see where a suitable butterfly garden would be for you. After you have picked out a butterfly garden site check out the wonderful web sites that I have included for your reading pleasure and knowledge on butterflies. Looking forward to next month for part two of Butterflies in the Heartlands.

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