Tag Archives: garden

Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly Garden Basics

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You can design a garden that will attract butterflies. The flowering plants and peaceful butterflies will help ensure a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere in your garden. Put your butterfly garden in a place where you can sit and enjoy it. Many people like to place them around a gazebo, beside a walking path or near their porches where they can spend some time adoring these mysterious creatures.

Butterflies love the sun and require the heat from the sun to move. You may want to place dark colored stones around the area so that the butterflies can absorb the warmth whenever they need it. Concrete benches make nice warm landing areas and offer a great place to sit observe the butterflies up close. Choose a sunny location for your butterfly garden. Thankfully, the plants that attract butterflies also thrive in direct sun.

The types of plants you will need will depend on where you live. Find out which butterflies are native to your area, then find out which types of plants they are attracted to. You will need to plant the ones that provide nectar for the adult butterflies and the correct types of leaves for the offspring to eat. Remember not to use pesticides near your butterfly garden or you will kill the butterflies, defeating the purpose.

Butterflies are very lightweight and have very large wings when compared to their body mass. Therefore, they do not like the wind very much and have difficulty getting around when it is windy. This is why you should choose an area protected from the wind when you select a location for your butterfly garden. If you do not have a good place, simply build small fence or place prefabricated fence sections near your butterfly garden. They should provide enough protection to keep the butterflies happy.

Butterflies need a moist area to survive. They cannot drink from standing water, so they need dew and moist soil to collect moisture. The plants that attract butterflies will make some shade on the ground which will help keep the soil moist.

Some people choose to place a large shallow container filled with dirt or sand underneath their butterfly attracting bushes. The container should not drain and will hold more moisture than the ground. You can even mix in some table salt to provide extra minerals for your butterflies. Water it two or three times a week to ensure that it stays fairly wet, but do not leave standing water on the top. If the weather is particularly hot or dry, you may want to water more often. Keep a garden hose reel nearby for easy access and watering. Relax and enjoy the butterflies as they live their lives in your beautiful butterfly garden.

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.

Gardening Advice

Accessorizing Your Garden

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The main attraction of your backyard garden is most likely the flowers and plants. You can add other attractions to your garden as well. There are several garden accessories that will add some character to your garden, and make it unique, as well as being functional.

Borders: Garden borders and edging will help to define your garden space, as well as helping to keep your lawn out of your garden. Your border can be as simple as a row of stones or bricks along the edge of the flowerbed, or you can use landscaping timbers set your garden apart. If you go to your local garden store, you’ll find several varieties of garden edging and border fences that you can place along the outside of your flowerbeds, to define the space, and keep the garden and lawn seperate.

Signs & Row Markers: You can find a variety of row markers and signs at your local garden sign to help to identify various flowers and plants in your garden. You can find whimisical or serious signs for your garden. A few of these signs around the garden will add a touch of color and design to the garden.

Lawn Toys & Sculptures: I’ll admit, garden gnomes and pink flamingoes are the definition of tacky. At the same time, they can set your garden apart, and make it unique. Gardening doesn’t have to be serious. Place some pinwheels or windsocks around your garden, and add some color and appeal to your garden. You don’t need to spend a lot for this type of garden decor. If you go to your local flea market or garage sales, you’ll find a lot of things that you can use to decorate your garden. How about a brightly painted old watering can? Or maybe you can find an old wagon that you can put in your garden as a planter. Just let your imagination run wild.

Birdbaths: It can be very enjoyable just watching the little birds splashing around in the water. A birdbath will attract birds to your garden, where you can enjoy watching their antics. Some birds may even be beneficial to your garden, eating harmful bugs, and keeping them away from your plants.

Garden Furniture: If you have a garden, you might as well enjoy it. You can find garden benches at your local home improvement store. A well placed bench or chair will give you a place to sit while you enjoy your garden. You can find garden furniture in metal, resin, wood, or stone, in a variety of styles to match your garden’s decor.

Fountains: There is just something relaxing about the sound of flowing water. You don’t need a lot of space for a fountain. You can find small fountains with hidden pumps that you can tuck away in a corner of your garden, where you can enjoy the sound of water trickling over the stones of the fountain. If you have more space, you could install a bigger fountain, or even dig a pond, complete with goldfish or koi. A fountain or pond will definitely help to bring serenity and relaxation to your pond.

Your garden can be more than just a group of plants. You can add a wide variety of garden decor accessories to make your garden unique, and to make it more relaxing for you. Use your imagination, and make your garden your own.

Visit Accent Your Garden for more ideas on making your garden unique.