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Butterflies can be attracted to your garden by a variety of methods including planting brightly coloured flowers and bushes, providing food in the form of rotten fruit or by providing other places where they will congregate.

Flowers and Bushes

To attract butterflies to your garden you need to provide attractive food in the form of brightly coloured flowers and feeders and puddles for drinking water. Leave a part of your garden wild by allowing the grass to grow longer and sprinkling wild flower seeds throughout the area. Choose an area that has sunshine for most of the day but is sheltered from the wind. A few flat stone scattered about will provide resting places. At the edges of the wild area plant flowers and shrubs with brightly coloured blooms.

Butterflies prefer single flowers rather than double blooms as they are easier for gathering nectar. Mix up the colours as butterflies have different preferences. Some will be attracted to flowers in shades of red, orange or yellow, some prefer whites or blues or purples. Also plant in clumps to provide an attractive mass of colour. Annuals and perennials to plant include phlox, lavender, zinnias, asters, candytuft, catnip, daisies, goldenrod, verbena and Marigold. Shrubs and bushes include the butterfly bush (buddleia), honeysuckle, mock orange, potentilla, hawthorn, lilac, and hyacinth.

Make an Artificial Puddle

Shallow puddles will attract butterflies so you can make a permanent artificial puddle. Take a shallow dish and add some sand then moisten with water, stale beer or some fruit juice. Bury the dish up to the rim in a sunny part of the garden.

Food for Butterflies

Butterflies love fermenting fruit and vegetables. A fruit tree in the garden will attract the butterflies if you allow the fallen fruit to stay on the ground. Put out small amounts of over ripe fruit, any type will do, butterflies will love it mushy and fermenting. Uneaten bananas can be stored in the freezer and defrosted when required. The freezing process will turn them black and the fruit inside will be mushy. Just right for attracting butterflies!

Feeders for Butterflies

An easy butterfly feeder can be made by using a shallow saucer or dish with a sloping rim and hanging to a tree branch or pergola with flower pot hangers. Hang it higher than the surrounding flowers. To attract the butterflies plastic or silk flowers can be attached to the hanger. Put some mushy, fermenting fruit sprinkled with water or fruit juice in the dish. Check regularly to make sure it is still damp as butterflies do not like dried food.

Butterfly Nectar

In place of the rotten fruit you could make butterfly nectar by boiling together 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups of water. Do not add any food colouring but, to attract the butterflies, add some brightly coloured objects or plastic flowers to the feeder. You can store the unused nectar in the refrigerator for around a week.

Sponge Butterfly Feeders

Brightly coloured sponges can be soaked in butterfly nectar and hung from pergolas or trees in areas where there are no other flowers.

By providing the ideal conditions for butterflies you will enjoy their visits throughout the summer.

Janet Ashby is a keen gardener who finds gardening in the tropics a challenge. For more information and lots of craft ideas visit http://hobbycraftnews.com More on Beneficial Insects

Want to enjoy nature more? Do you love the beauty of nature? Many, many people do. They enjoy going to an aquarium, the local zoo and even the pet store. Hiking, climbing or perhaps a car ride are wonderful ways to be a part of nature.

But is there a way to enjoy nature in ones own backyard? How about getting a bird house. A bird house is not only a great addition to ones yard but for very little money can bring the excitement of nature home. And if it’s in our own back yard we can enjoy it anytime; right?

How to Pick Out a Bird House

The size of the yard is a main consideration when picking out a bird house. Simply the larger the yard the larger the bird house can be (or the more bird houses can be used). Too large a bird house for the space can result in too much nature. Of course personal preference always reigns. For instance, it may or may not be your preference to have the bird house close to your patio. Many people enjoy them near the patio because the maid or gardener will clean up after the birds; but, on the other hand, others don’t seem to have this kind of help and depend on their cat. Something to think about.

Where you plan to put the bird house is another major consideration. If the spot is pre-existing, such as a tree, the spot may determine size. If it is to be free standing then the size can vary with taste.

The next consideration about size goes to the bird seed budget. Since part of the use for a bird house is to feed the birds the cost of the bird seed can become a factor. Chances are the bigger the bird house or the more bird houses you have the more bird seed used and the more expense involved.

After making a size decision, model comes next. The style of house can be determined by the kind of bird you want to attract. Of course, the type of bird seed you use will attract different birds. Most pet or bird stores have a wide variety of seed mixes that will attract different birds. But remember you will only attract first the birds that are common to your area so plan accordingly and remember that certain birds like certain types of houses and seed.

Now the fun part comes in. Once the bird house is installed and filled with seed it is time to watch and enjoy. The wide variety of species that are attracted by regular bird seed is always a surprise.

Bird House Options

Build your own. Many people don’t like the commercial options available or think they are boring. Design your own or buy a set of plans? Elaborate or simple? Bird houses can be built to whatever size, style and design excites you. Not only is a bird house for the birds but it is also for the people who enjoy them. However you choose to go, once the bird house is done, nature and beauty brought close to home can be enjoyed by everyone.

If you are looking for general or specific bird house information we would love to have you come visit us at http://www.BirdHouseCompany.com

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