Blossoming Butterflies
Butterfly Garden at Community First! Village
Community First! Village (CFV) is a small community that helps the homeless get back on their feet.
Butterfly Garden (July 25, 2019)
Plants donated by: Texas Native Plants
Butterfly Garden Layout (16ft x 16ft)
Table
Mexican Plum Tree
Path
Path
Fall Aster
Gregg's Mistflower
Texas Lantana
Dianthus
Prairie Verbena
Purple Coneflower
Mexican Mint Marigold
Tropical Milkweed
Dianthus
Curly Parsley
Dill
Location of Butterfly Garden
Establishing the Butterfly Garden
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January 2019
July 2019
Why a butterfly garden?
Butterflies are beautiful, wouldn't you agree? Having them around makes our world a lovelier place to be. But, even more important than this, butterflies are super important pollinators in this amazing world and they need food that comes from particular flowers. I planted this garden at Community First! Village to create a butterfly "waystation" in far southwest Austin to help the butterflies and to provide a place of relaxation and meditation in nature for the neighbors living there.
Research
Once I received an approval from Community First! Village to build a butterfly garden on their premises, I started researching and reading. I had never done real gardening before, unless you count volunteering for public gardens "It's My Park Day." So I did extensive research on how to establish a butterfly garden: what flowers and colors specific butterflies are attracted to, the difference between nectar and host plants, what type of butterflies live in central Texas, how to transplant flowers/bushes properly, and etc. Additionally, I traveled to a number of gardening facilities and asked gardening professionals their opinion.
Planning
After researching, I met with Heidi Sloan, the head of Genesis Gardens at CFV, to find the perfect plot to place the butterfly garden. We settled on a secluded, meditative area near a vegetable garden. I marked out a 16ft-x-16ft square to create a visual representation of the garden. Then, over the next few weeks, I continued adjusting the plan for my garden: what types of flowers and bushes I would plant, and how much mulch and compost was needed.
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Preparing
In early March, my volunteer team and I prepared the soil for planting. This requires cutting the grass on top of the area, tilling the soil (1 foot deep), and pulling out roots and rocks. The ordeal was exhausting to say the least; it took a total of 8 hours to complete because the clay soil had never been turned up before. Furthermore, ants were all over the area so we had to get rid of them so they would not destroy the plants.
Installing
A few days later, my volunteer team and I set out to transplant the assortment of flowers and bushes. I instructed them where to plant each type of flower, how deep the plants' hole should be, and how much compost and mulch should be placed in each hole. For most of the 7 hours we were there, I was running around to each person, answering their questions and helping them transplant each plant correctly. Thankfully, everyone had a great time and did a wonderful job gardening.
Touring
Amy Minor has her own monarch butterfly waystation!
In May, I took a small group of adults to tour the blossoming butterfly garden and talked about its purpose: to provide a meditative place for CFV neighbors and help the local butterflies. Amy Minor, a butterfly and gardening expert, joined us and talked about the importance and anatomy of butterflies. Also, she showed off her swallowtail caterpillars and a monarch butterfly that hatched in her garden! I am so thankful that she was able to come out and show us the beauty of butterflies.
Perennials & Shrubs in the Garden
Keep in mind that these plants require well-drained soil (clay or rocky).
Dianthus
Dianthus barbatus
Common Name: Sweet William
Type: Herbaceous perennial flower
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: red, pink, white
Nectar Plant for Butterflies & Hummingbirds
Native Range: Southern Europe from Pyrenees to Carpathians and Balkans
USDA Zone: 3 to 9 (-35F to 20F minimum temp.)
Seed in early spring or fall
Height: 1 - 2 feet
Spread: 0.5 - 1 feet
Bloom Time: Spring - Summer
Sun: full sun to part shade
Water: Medium (2-3 times per week)
Cut Back: Early Fall
Deer Tolerant
Dill
Anethum graveolens
Type: Annual herb
Color: greenish-yellow
Host Plant for Butterflies
Native Range: Southwestern Asia and India
USDA Zone: 2 to 11 (-45F to 35F minimum temp.)
Seed in early summer
Height: 3 - 5 feet
Spread: 2 - 3 feet
Bloom Time: August - September
Sun: full sun
Water: Medium (2-3 times per week)
Cut Back: Fall
Deer Tolerant
Commonly used for cooking!
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Type: Perennial shrub
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: lavender, purple, blue
Nectar Plant for Bees & Butterflies
Native Range: Southwest United States, Northern Mexico
USDA Zone: 7 to 10 (0F to 35F minimum temp.)
Seed in spring or early fall
Height: 1 - 2 feet
Spread: 2 - 4+ feet
Bloom Time: March-November
Sun: full sun, partial shade
Water: Medium (2-3 times per week)
Cut Back: Late Fall
Deer Tolerant
One of the best butterfly attracting plants!
Mexican Mint Marigold
Tagetes lucida
Type: Perennial flower
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: yellow, orange
Nectar Plant for Bees & Butterflies
Native Range: Southern United States, Northern Mexico
USDA Zone: 6 to 8 (-10F to 10F minimum temp.)
Seed in spring
Height: 2 - 3 feet
Spread: 2 - 3 feet
Bloom Time: August - November
Sun: full sun, partial shade
Water: Medium (2-3 times per week)
Cut Back: Late Fall
Deer Tolerant
A tarragon-flavored culinary herb.
Mexican Plum
Prunus mexicana
Type: Herbaceous perennial tree
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: white blossoms
Nectar & Host Plant for Butterflies
Native Range: South/Midwest United States
USDA Zone: 6 to 8 (-10F to 10F minimum temp.)
Plant sapling in spring
Height: 15 - 20+ feet
Spread: 15 - 20 feet
Bloom Time: April - May
Sun: full sun, partial shade
Water: Low (1-2 times per week)
Trim: Fall
Deer Tolerant
Produces plums.
Prairie Verbena
Glandularia bipinnatifida
Type: Perennial shrub
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: purple, blue
Nectar Plant for Butterflies
Native Range: Southwest United States, Northern Mexico
USDA Zone: 7 to 10 (0F to 35F minimum temp.)
Seed in early spring or fall
Height: 1 - 2 feet
Spread: 3 - 4 feet
Bloom Time: April-November
Sun: full sun
Water: Low (1-2 times per week)
Cut Back: Late Fall
Deer Tolerant
A very rugged plant that can live in dry areas.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Type: Herbaceous perennial flower
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: pink
Nectar & Host Plant for Butterflies
Native Range: Eastern North America
USDA Zone: 3 to 8 (-35F to 10F minimum temp.)
Seed in spring
Height: 2 - 5 feet
Spread: 1.5 - 2 feet
Bloom Time: May-October
Sun: full sun, partial shade
Water: Low (1-2 times per week)
Cut Back: Fall
Deer Tolerant
A very rugged plant that can live in dry areas.
Texas Lantana
Lantana urticoides
Type: Perennial flower
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: red, orange, yellow, purple, pink
Nectar Plant for Butterflies & Hummingbirds
Native Range: Southern United States, Northern Mexico
USDA Zone: 6 to 8 (-10F to 10F minimum temp.)
Seed in spring
Height: 3 - 5 feet
Spread: 4 - 5 feet
Bloom Time: April-October
Sun: full sun
Water: Low (1-2 times per week)
Cut Back: Late Fall
Deer Tolerant
An aggressive plant that dwells in dry areas.
Tropical Milkweed
Asclepias currasavica
Common Name: Mexican Butterfly Weed
Type: Perennial shrub
Flower: Showy & Fragrant
Color: yellow, orange, red
Nectar & Host Plant for Butterflies
Native Range: Southern United States, Northern Mexico
USDA Zone: 6 to 8 (-10F to 10F minimum temp.)
Seed in spring
Height: 3 - 4 feet
Spread: 1 - 2 feet
Bloom Time: April-October
Sun: full sun, partial shade
Water: Medium (2-3 times per week)
Cut Back: Late Fall
Deer Tolerant
May need to keep a close eye on it when its leaves drop. Monarchs love milkweed.
