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| 5 Essentials for Creating a Butterfly Garden |
In order to support a butterfly from egg to adult, your garden must include the appropriate plants as well as provide suitable habitat. With a little knowledge, time, and patience, you can easily create an ideal butterfly habitat in your own garden!
1. Grow Native Plants
Butterflies rely heavily on native plants in order to survive. Not only do they visit flowers of these plants for nectar, female butterflies look for specific host plants on which to lay their eggs.
2. Reduce Pesticide Use
Pesticides will kill butterflies.
3. Choose a Sunny Location
The sun is essential in a butterfly’s activities. Butterflies can fly only after raising their body temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Provide Shelter
Design your garden to include features that provide protection from cold and windy weather. A brick wall, the side of your home, or a row of trees serves as an adequate windbreak on blustery days.
5. Create a Water Source
Butterflies need water and minerals in their diet. Instead of slurping water they siphon it, along with nutrients, and salts, through their straw-like mouths. Incorporate a water feature in your garden, or adapt an existing feature to keep a small section of the ground moist.
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