Here are a few pics of my garden can anyone explain why I see no cats or butterflies!!!! Just skippers every now and then....
What's the problem - No Cats!!!
another pic
and another
Do you have any Host plants? I see a lot of nectar plants, but from what I can make out, no host plants for the butterflies to lay eggs on. Tell us what plants are in your garden and maybe we can help.
Beautiful garden, ebhuval!!! Looks brand new this spring, too! So pretty.
I am researching the same issue since I want MORE butterflies. Of course, we probably have different BF varieties from you, but many concepts are used both north and south.
1. The host plants---as becky mentioned. Two of the easiest are the Milkweeds for the monarch butterflies Asclepias currasavica should work well in your garden, and maybe one other. I use asclepias tuberosa because its perennial in our climate, too. You may have other choices. Milkweeds are also favorite nectar flowers for 45 species of butterflies, so an important addition to the garden. There are wonderful lists of host plants for your area on the internet and on this forum. Many DGers will trade plants and seeds with you, too.
2. More purple nectar flowers and mass them together. Two that come to mind are verbena bonarienses (may be invasive in your area) and verbena homestead purple (which I might spy in your garden already) I recently researched which nectar flowers were readily visible to butterflies and pinky purples, magentas, and purple purples and then into the Ultra violet range (which humans can't see but UV color is common in zinnias, coreopsis, and cone flowers among others.). The least visible colors are greens and yellows. The BFs have terrible eyesight so its important to have a good quantity of the same color or the BFs might miss it. I need more verbena 'homestead purple' in my garden. I bought all yellows and reds before I knew about the UV thing.
3. BFs like sunshine. Does your garden get afternoon sun?
Those are a few of the ideas I am following up with. Your garden is beautiful, though, and I think if you are patient you will see some BF action soon!
Ok - plants I have
parsley, milkweek, horsemint
lantana, heliotrope,daylilies,butterfly bush (dark purple), anise hyssop, red pentas to name a few....
eb,
Is your butterfly garden new this year? I started one last year and I'm just getting a good show of butterflies this year. Seems to take them a while to "discover" your flowers. A blue flower I have that the BF's just LOVE is Stokes Aster--there are several that seem to go nuts over it..
No actually the garden is about 3 years old now, however this is the first year that I have host plants
eb - My guess is that you will see more as summer and then Fall approaches. The biggest season for Butterflies here in Florida is Fall. I haven't seen that many this Spring. And I have a feeling summer isn't going to be much busier. But come Fall, I had tons last year, so that may be your situation too! Plus the flowers are much more mature by then, maybe more nectar. And being more established and larger, the butterflies will find them. Not to worry..... you'll get them either soon or in the Fall months. Just let those host and nectar plants grow, because you'll be needing them before ya know it! :-)
BTW - I ditto what everyone is saying ..... your garden is really lovely! Nice selection of colors and layout! Enjoy the flowers for now! :-)
E-
Heres a link to the butterflies in your area
http://www.thebutterflysite.com/louisiana-butterflies.shtml
and the host/nectar sources that they like
http://www.butterflyworld.com/region6.html
As long as you have a good assortment of both you're good. You just have to wait....as hard as that is.
Hang in! They'll come.
Adrienne
ebhuval - Here's another informative link about what butterflies & moths are known in your county. If you click on the name of the butterfly it will give you additional info such as host and nectar plants.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/map?dc=5771&_dcc=1&si=19