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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 • The Courier-Herald Spring Home & Garden • Page 17
2014
GARDEN
Butterflies are ready to flock to area gardens By Theresa De Lay Staff Writer
1017590
Spring has sprung and nothing says summer is on its way like a garden full of butterflies. Gardeners must be mindful of each stage the butterfly enters and what unique needs they possess, in order to maintain a sanctuary for them. Eggs, pupa, larva and adult butterflies require varied shelter and food.
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Just as real estate agents like to say for human habitats, “location, location, location” is first and foremost when building a garden that butterflies will want to call home. Sun and wind are the two most important location factors. Butterflies expend more energy flying in windy environments. Place your garden on the side of a structure or hedge and add protection by including trees and shrubs. However, it may be counter productive to go overboard with wind protection. Fences, buildings and trees can often lend too much shade. Butterflies love the sun and feed on flowers that require approximately six hours of daily sunlight. Once shelter and sun is addressed, gardeners can begin thinking about human interaction. Place the garden near windows, walkways, seating areas or a vegetable garden to maximize viewing pleasure.
Plants
Different plants will cater to each unique stage in a butterfly’s life. In order to provide for the different life stages and species of butterflies, it is best to include a large variety of plants.
INSPECT FROM 12 home’s foundation. Low spots on the lawn that go ignored can make great breeding grounds for insects, including mosquitoes, when the weather warms up. When low spots are detected, fill them in with compacted soil. Compacted soil can prevent
A prepared gardener will include a breeding ground of sorts, shelter from the elements and a nearby feast of flowers for adult butterflies. Most of the recommended plants will require fertile soil that drains well. Plants conducive to breeding and the subsequent larva and caterpillar stage include: • Evergreen trees like cedar, pine and Douglas fir; • Deciduous trees like maple, alder, birch, dogwood, apple, cottonwood, oak and aspen; • Deciduous shrubs like oceanspray; • Groundcovers like kinnikinnik and salal; and • Wildflowers like bleeding heart, checker mallow and violet Adult butterflies consume flower nectar due to the high-energy sugar composition it is made of. Flower nectar is essentially the same, regardless of which species it comes from but they tend to prefer certain types such as: • buckbrush, escallonia, hyssop, lavender, Oregon grape, germander, bluebeard, rabbitbrush, wild azalea, elderberry, lilac and chaste tree. • Perennials including yarrow, aster, daisy, clove, cornf lower, heliotrope, lupine and flox • Groundcovers including heather and candytuft • Vine-like plants including honeysuckle and twinberry • Annuals including ageratum, alyssum, calendula, clarkia, cosmos, French marigold and zinnia • Garden herbs including mint, oregano, sage and thyme.
See BUTTERFLIES, Page 20 spring rains from flooding a yard or damaging a home’s foundation. Assessing potential property damage is a rite of passage for homeowners in the spring. Though some damage is significant, oftentimes even novice DIYers can work their homes and properties back into shape in time to enjoy spring and summer.