I live in zone 4, and I have a bed I am going to redo as a hummingbird/butterfly garden. It is a pie-shaped wedge about 6 feet on each straight side, but I can enlarge it. I would like some suggestions for perennials/annuals. Does anyone have a good source for garden plans?
Thanks!
Bettie
For a start, you'll need some Milkweeds to attract Monarch and Queen butterflies. To have those lovely Gulf Frits. You'll need some 'Maypop' vines. For pipevine Swallow Tail butterflies - some Pipevines? Not sure of good sources, perhaps you can googgles them and look up your local resources?
Bettie - Welcome to the forum! :-)
My suggestion would be to look at this website and choose your state and then your county to find out what butterflies frequent your area. When you click on each butterfly, it should tell you what their host plant is. Native plants are best, but check the list and that will give you some ideas.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/map
Most annual nectar plants are good to have as well!
Hummers like blooms that are red/orange and tubular. They also like feeders. Have fun planning out your new garden!
This message was edited Dec 31, 2007 6:52 AM
What a neat website, Becky!
Thanks for sharing-
Deb
Bettie, sounds like you are off to a good start! Here's a plan that looks like it would be a butterlfy magnet:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/butterflygarden.xml
Please show pics when it's done!
Wow, I already have many of these plants around my deck and in the perennial bed I plan to redo (the tree in the middle died, so I have to dig it up), and I can start many of the rest by seed this spring. Yes, I will post photos when it is done. It is quite a bit larger than the area I have available, though I like the design enough I may - *may* - just put this elsewhere!
Beckygardener,
Thanks for that website! That's a great resource. I'll go back to that regularly.
zarebeth-- did you see this plan from the University of Minnesota Extension--
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/DG6711e.html
And if you are starting from seed, you may be interested in the Wintersowing Forum, if you haven't checked it out already, the link is
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/coldsow/all/
An easy way to start seeds if you don't like to start them inside...
Thanks for the link - and I will be starting quite a bit of the plants from seed. I am a seed-starting fool! Good information everyone. I really appreciate it.
Zarabeth, have you checked out www.prairiemoon.com ? They are a company here in MN that specializes in native plants-they have tons of seed varieties. They have special sections for butterfly/hummingbird plants. I haven't bought seeds from them but their plants are fantastic (and not too expensive!).
Deb
This message was edited Jan 10, 2008 5:08 PM
This message was edited Jan 10, 2008 5:09 PM
fly_girl, that is the plan that I put in last year and it is a bf magnet for sure.
Really? It does look like it would be.
I've always wanted to do a butterfly garden in the shape of a butterfly...a big butterfly...some day when I have a big yard. That would be awesome!
I put mine in in early summer and did not find all of the plants that it calls for at that time ......so now I have ordered the seeds for what I didn't have ............., I will plant them this spring .....
jmt
Jmt, be sure and show us pictures, I bet it will look great. It's always a challenge here to start seeds, we often get those torrential downpours that drown or wash away my seedlings. Do you have a gh or start them inside?
This is a mini bf shaped garden only with flowers. It is located at the entrance to the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. The pic was taken the first week or so it was planted, but it is still there now and filling in nicely.
I will ........I am going to start the seeds indoors and then transplant them ......... I will post pics as they grow. .......... here is a pic of that garden from last year.
Sheila, love that bf shape bed!
James...looks great, your mw looks very healthy!
yes ...... that milkweed was one of the main attractions of that bed .........I still have seeds from it if anyone wants some just dmail me and I will send you some ......... I have never grown it from seed, but several people on here suggest that it is quite easy to grow........ I will know after this spring, because I am going to plant seeds indoors to start early.
james t
Mw is soooo easy from seed, I just toss it out. some of the healthiest mw that has come up on its own is in the most unlikely places...like part shade. It seems to be quite adaptable.
Well, I found a Butterfly Garden plan that is the right size and shape on Bluestone Perennials, but I changed the flowers a bit to suit what I have already bought seedwise and to incorporate a few varieties that I want. I am open to suggestions if anyone sees anything that could be better. The dwarf zinnias will be Swizzle Ivory/Red and Scarlet. I will also probably put the Butterfly Weed behind the coreopsis since it is taller.
Edited to provide more detail...
This message was edited Jan 12, 2008 5:02 PM
This message was edited Jan 12, 2008 5:06 PM
Becky - forgot about that site....made sure to book mark it this time - thanks so much for posting it.
