Welcome butterflies and birds!
By: Garden Gate staff
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Plant a sanctuary for butterflies & birds
What are the reasons you love to garden? Relaxation and meditation are probably high on the list. After all, does anything else melt away stress like stepping out into the yard for a few hours? Whether you’re deadheading and watering or just sitting back on the patio, spending time outdoors is even more enjoyable when there are visitors around.
Ahead, you’ll find how simple it can be to garden with butterflies and birds — some of your garden’s most important guests — in mind.
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It takes all types
Hanging an array of bird feeders from the lower limbs of an understory tree will keep bird activity at eye level.
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Don’t miss out
Save yourself a spot in the garden where you can watch without disturbing visiting birds and butterflies. Here, the Adirondack chair is safely set back from a mass planting of blooms for butterflies.
Salvia (Salvia nemorosa), in the photo, heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens), tall sedum (Sedum hybrids) and cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) are just a few butterfly magnets that look great, and attract the most butterflies, planted in sweeps.
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A good sign
Birds prefer to feel sheltered at multiple levels, just like they would in the wild, so plant perennials, shrubs and trees of all heights. Here, the presence of several different bird species is an indicator of good garden variety.
Some good perennials and shrubs for shelter include peony (Paeonia spp. and hybrids) like the one at left, boxwood (Buxus spp. and hybrids) and arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis).
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