Wildlife and Gardens - Part 2

Nectar gardens, according to an excellent article on butterfly gardening by Robert Burton, in the latest issue of the RHS 'The Garden', need to be close to a variety of wildlife habitats and contain thirty or more different kinds of nectar-rich flowering plants. This sounds like a lot, but even a small garden can easily manage this number.

Butterflies generally like composite (daisy type) flowers because most have short tongues and can't reach the nectar in long tubular flowers. Your selection of plants should aim to provide a continuous source of nectar over the longest possible time. Wild plants like brambles, dandelions and knapweed (Centaurea) are good butterfly lures. If winters are mild, some species of butterflies can be lured out of hibernation early and need to find things like early flowering primroses (Primula spp.), Aubrieta (rock cress) or pussy willows (Salix nigra) so that they don't deplete their reserves too soon. Late in the season, asters and Sedum spectabile are good plants for butterflies entering hibernation. In my garden, asters, Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and Eupatorium 'Gateway' (Joe-Pye-Weed) are covered with swallowtails in late summer.

The RHS article notes that when you're choosing nectar plants, you should look for original species or the oldest cultivars which tend to be fragrant and rich in nectar. This is particularly true of Buddleia davidii (butterfly bush), an essential plant for the butterfly garden. However, the newest cultivars, like the popular 'Black Knight' produce little nectar.

A little benign neglect will go a long way toward encouraging butterflies. They prefer gardens a bit on the wilder side that provide shelter and food plants for caterpillars. So, if your significant other has been nagging you to take care of the weedy bits, you can reply that you're cultivating butterflies and continue to laze in the shade sipping your lemonade!

Next time, we'll talk about enticing our fine feathered friends. See ya' later!

More Information

• Sizes of Soil Organisms This and preceding are part of a slide show of lecture notes for a course in Soil Biology, Ecology, Organic Matter given by Jerry Davis at SFSU - worth looking at if you have the time and interest.

• D. Brian Paley's Compost Critters, Pests
  The copyright of the article Wildlife and Gardens - Part 2 in Shade Gardening is owned by Marge Talt. Permission to republish Wildlife and Gardens - Part 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

  Go To Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6

  Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic