It’s hard to put words to the beauty, natural wonder, and life that a butterfly garden can bring to your to your backyard landscaping. Although, it’s important to know that the types of plants you select to attract these colorful winged creatures can make a big difference in the number and species of butterflies that frequent your butterfly garden. If you’re not sure where to start in the butterfly garden plant selection process, let us make it easy for you.
DuPage County Butterfly Garden Plants
Adult butterflies dine on the nectar of many different flowers that can be found or grown in DuPage County, Illinois. While certain butterfly species have favorite plants that they prefer to frequent, we put together the following list of nectar flowers based on local availability and the constraints of our growing season.
- Butterfly Weed or Milkweed
- Lavender
- Cosmos
- Hollyhock
- Blue or Red Salvia
- Daisies
- Petunia
- Liatrus
- Coneflower
- Zinnia
- Asters
- Purple and White Alyssum
- Pink Phlox
- Marigolds
- Basil
Butterfly Garden Design
Once you have selected a variety of plants, you should start thinking about how to arrange them within your garden space. Remember these key butterfly garden design tips when you are ready to plant your nectar flowers.
- Always incorporate some tall plants that will offer the butterflies protection from the wind and breezes.
- Vary the height of the plants from shortest to tallest for the best view and overall garden appearance.
- Add a source of water somewhere near the center to create a focal point as butterflies arrive for a drink or bath.
- Arrange large clusters of colorful blossoms because they are often more attractive to butterflies than single flowers. This is particularly true when contrasting colors are planted next to each other.
- Ask your landscaping company to help you design or create a path in the garden for weeding and planting. Stone walkways add visual appeal and work really well for this purpose.
Once you are finished planting your butterfly garden, you should feel good about what you’ve created. Butterflies are beneficial to our local environment because of the symbiotic relationship they have with the plants they visit and their preferences for native habitats. These beautiful insects are a natural indicator of a healthy outdoor environment and ecosystem.
If you are new homeowner who is looking for a professional landscape designer in DuPage County to help create a beautiful outdoor living area, contact Landscape Creations at 630-932-8966 today for an estimate.
