Create a Butterfly Habitat

Fill your garden with beautiful flowers and butterflies.

Plant some flowers and herbs, add a bit of water, put away the pesticides and wait for the butterflies to appear.

Plant in masses whenever possible so butterflies expend less energy traveling between flowers. But even a container of blooms will be appreciated.

Include a variety of flowers that provide nectar throughout the season.

Plant parsley, dill and other food for the caterpillars that will soon become butterflies.

Add a flat stone where butterflies can warm their bodies and sink a shallow container or bucket of sand into the soil and keep it moist. Add a pinch of seas salt or wood ash and watch as butterflies gather.

Leave healthy perennials stand for the winter. They provide winter homes for many of the butterflies and other beneficial insects.

A bit more information: For an up-close look at the insects and spiders that share our garden and natural spaces visit www.billjohnsonbeyondbutterflies.com. His beautiful photos will inspire you to stop and look for these often-overlooked visitors in the garden.

Butterflies on stone and puddling images provided by Bill Johnson Nature Stock Photography, Inc.