Rainbows and Plants that Attract Butterflies

Summer just keeps getting better. It's definitely time to water (in the mornings); your pots will probably need it everyday when it gets well over ninety. I spent a good half hour watering on Sunday. Funny thing was, I can't believe how many rainbows I made during the process. It was fantastic! They're so cheery.

After my rainbow making, it was off to work to discuss butterfly gardening with Deana. Oh, btw, one of my favorite butterflies landed on me while I was watering. I love that. Anyway, Deana, our weekend morning store designer, brought some great information I'd like to share about attracting butterflies to your garden.

The four basics are:
1) Pesticide-free environment
2) Plenty of sunshine
3) Flowers to provide nectar for the adult butterflies
4) Host plants to provide food for the butterfly larvae, caterpillars

That morning Deanna made a butterfly display garden at the shop using these plants. All are in stock now.

Nectar plants
Caryopteris (Bluebeard), Buddleai (Butterfly Bush), Aster, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Gaillardia, Gaura, Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan) Sedum, and Verbena

Butterfly larvae host plants
Eastern Redbud, Viburnum, Aster, Panicum (switchgrass)

I like the idea of creating theme gardens at the shop, particularly during the summer months. Here are a few more options you might see soon at the store: a beach garden or plants that can tolerate salt, native plants garden, an all green evergreen garden (this is what I have at my house), and a Victorian (period) garden.

If you have any ideas for a theme garden, please send me your comments.