Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Where is a good place to get mail order host plants?, 1 by tabasco

tabasco wrote:
Hi, Sue, White Flower Farms' catalog offers some suggestions for Butterflies and they are right there in Connecticut.

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/82460-product.html

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/83124-product.html

You might find the Monarch Watch butterfly garden page useful, too, if you wish to plan your own garden.

http://www.monarchwatch.org/garden/creating.htm

I think you will find asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) generally available at garden centers and a perennial in most northern gardens. Also, verbena bonarienses and coneflowers are great butterfly attractants and available in most garden centers. Tropical milkweed (an annual in the north) is very pretty and most 'with it' garden centers offer it here and is a favorite of the monarchs.

You may be surprised, butterfly gardening is becoming quite popular---I would suggest before you mail order for the basic butterfly garden plants check your local garden centers (you may very well get bigger plants and won't have to pay shipping).

I don't know about your 'completely organic' mention. I try not to use insecticides because they are harmful to the cats and BFs and I find it interesting to try to help 'balance' the habitat. I can't always get that to work, though, and need to help things along with a little bit of chemistry. And I do use some chemical fertilizers although I try to start with well balanced and naturally amended soil. I am much more selective in my chemicals than I was 5 years ago.

And I do plant for both the BFs and the birds too. We have one acre (which sweeps into our neighbors' yardens, too) and the Birds and BFs all seem to get along together quite well. Our yard is loaded with natural activity and it is a lot of fun. I wish you luck with your garden!

Monarch cat on the tropical milkweed: