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Most of my gardening time is spent working my vegetable beds. I like the promise of getting something I can use for my time. However I do have a couple beds dedicated to flowers. Here too, though, I want something for my time and trouble, so I choose my flowers to benefit the creatures around me. Especially butterflies and hummingbirds.
One secret whether you're choosing flowers for hummers or for butterflies: do not use pesticides anywhere nearby.
HUMMINGBIRDS
Ruby throated hummingbirds are the most common species we see. That said, there are 17 species that breed in North America -and many more around the world. Hummingbirds.net offers a list of worldwide species and hummingbird species by state or province.
These tiny flight avians prefer flowers with deep tubular flowers in strong colors of red, blue and yellow. Shrubs such as buddleia, azalea, lantana, manzinita, weigela and red buckeye can serve as the bones of a hummingbird garden. Or start with a vine such as morning glory or scarlet trumpet vine on a trellis or wall. Below, plant some bee balm, columbine, coral bells, penstemon, yucca or foxglove and you're well on your way to making a welcoming spot for hummers to come and visit.
Hummingbirds need an extra boost of energy at sunrise and sunset to carry them through the night. A feeder placed near the plants will be that extra source that the birds come to first and last thing. A simple sugar solution (1/4C of white sugar dissolved in 1C of boiling water and allowed to cool) is all you need to keep these little guys happy. Change the syrup ever couple of days and clean your feeders at least weekly.
BUTTERFLIES
Where hummingbirds like deep tubular flowers, butterflies prefer wide flat flowers that offer a comfortable spot to land and many shallow flowers from which to sip. However, finding the right plants for the butterflies in your area isn't as simple as planting a butterfly bush (buddleia), some daisies and asters and waiting for the butterflies to come.
Butterfies have thier own particular tastes when it comes to food plants. Additionally, they will seek out those garden or wild spaces that offer the plants where their offspring will thrive.
Common Butterflies, Thier Host Plants and Nectar Plants*
BUTTERFLY CATERPILLAR HOST PLANT BUTTERFLY NECTAR SOURCE
American Painted Lady Everlasting, Daisy, Burdock Aster, Dogbane, Goldenrod, Mallow, Vetch
Anise Swallowtail Queen Anne's Lace Buddleia, Joe Pye Weed
Black Swallowtail Parsley, Dill, Fennel Aster, Buddleia, Joe Pye Weed, Alfalfa
Common Sulphur Vetch Aster, Dogbane, Goldenrod
Giant Swallowtail Citrus Joe Pye Weed, Buddleia
Greater Fritillary Violet Joe Pye Weed
Hackberry Emperor Hackberry Sap, Rotting fruit, Dung, Carrion
Little Glassywing Purpletop Grass Dogbane, Zinnia
Little Yellow Cassia, Clover Clover
Monarch Milkweed Dogbane, Buddleia
Mourning Cloak Willow, Elm, Poplar, Birch Butterfly Bush, Milkweed, Shasta Daisy
Orange Sulphur Vetch. Alfalfa, Clover Alfalfa, Aster, Clover, Verbena
Orange-barred Sulphur Cassia Many plants
Painted Lady Thistle,Daisy,Mallow/Hollyhock Aster, Zinnia
Viceroy Willow, Poplar, Fruit Trees Thistle, Goldenrod, Milkweed
Zebra Swallowtail Pawpaw Dogbane, Joe Pye Weed, Buddleia
*chart information found at Butterfly WebSite
Two secrets whether you're choosing flowers for hummers or for butterflies: do not use pesticides anywhere nearby, do remember that native species will typically offer more nectar than cultivated species.
Related Blog Reading:
Away to Garden offered a slideshow of the perennial stars of the early may garden.
Molly Day from explains that Sex is Happening in your garden.
Compost Happens Daisy the Groundskeeper gave the low down on Square Foot Gardening:
Overall opinion? Buy it on sale, buy a used copy, or get one on Paperbackswap.com. I bought it new, and I'll probably pass it on to a friend or through PBS. It's worth the read; just don't let yourself get sucked into the pseudo-hypnotic "You must! You must!" Trust your experience and knowledge, and adopt the SFG ideas that work for your own garden.
Country Garden lets us in on a surprising piece
