Blossoming Butterflies

It is important to know the types of butterflies in your area so that you know which flowers attract or host them as well as the types of native flowers that grow in your region. It would be a good idea to talk to your local gardening shop about their flower recommendations.

Plan out the dimensions of your garden (square or rectangle shape) and where to plant each type of flower or bush. Based on the dimensions of your garden, calculate how many bags of mulch and compost you will need and ask your local gardening shop for an estimate. Be sure to have a balance of host and nectar plants in the garden. Also, butterflies are attracted to flower clusters of the same color such as blue, purple, and yellow. 

Try installing your garden on a flat surface, a good distance away from the base trees and tree stumps, near a water outlet. Placing your butterfly garden also depends on if the flowers you are planting prefer the shade or direct sunlight. 

Remove all grass and vegetation in the area in which you desire to build the butterfly garden. If you are not installing a rising garden bed, you will need to till the soil using a tiller about a foot deep since the ground has never been used for gardening before. After tilling the soil, rake an inch of mulch over the area. This process will take multiple hours.

Buy the plants 1 day before planting. Before planting, you will need to rake about 2 inchs of mulch over the plot. If you are planting grown plants, dig a hole about 2 inchs wider than the plant so you can put 2 inchs of compost and dirt around the inside of the hole. If you are planting seeds, put it about 1-3 inchs into the ground and cove it with dirt and mulch. After planting, cover the garden with 1-2 inchs of mulch and water the garden for about an hour. Depending on how many flowers and bushes you are planting, this process could take multiple hours.

You could install an drip irrigation system or a sprinkler. If you live in a region that gets very hot during the day, set the irrigation system to water the garden at night.

Depending on where you live and what species of flowers you have, more or less trimming will be required of each plant. Usually, you will have to cut back plants in the winter.