Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden, Part One

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Butterfly Weed is a native plant that attracts butterflies throughout the summer. It is slow to emerge in the spring, however its stunning orange color is worth the wait.

Butterflies, Bees and Worms

One of the most enjoyable aspects of gardening is bringing birds, butterflies and more to our gardens. It is interesting and fun to watch the parade of wildlife that stop at our gardens for food, water and shelter. We benefit from their visits with increased pollination of our flowers, fruit and vegetable crops.

Much has been written about attacking wildlife to gardens, so we're going to highlight what's needed by a few wildlife species and then list the plants to consider for your gardens and patio containers that will attract wildlife while providing color and variety for your gardens.

All wildlife need four basic elements to be attracted to your gardens and yard: water, food, shelter and attention when applying pesticides.

Butterflies need:
Adult butterflies feed on flower nectar. They are attracted to bright colors and large swaths of color will make your garden easier for them to find. Butterflies sun themselves to absorb heat, add flat rocks to your gardens or place them near your containers to create a sunning area for butterflies. Also very shallow water sources are needed for butterflies to drink from.

Flowers that attract butterflies include:
Asters – Bee Balm – Black Eye Susan – Butterfly Weed – Butterfly Bush – Coneflower – Coreopsis –Daisies – Lantana – Marigolds – Salvia - Phlox – Verbena – Zinnias and native plants such as milkweed, dogbane and thistles.

Bees need:
Bees are looking for two things: nectar, which is loaded with sugar and is the bee's main source of energy and pollen, which provides the bees with proteins and fats. Bees are also attracted to color and have very good color vision so planting gardens that provide a succession of color will keep bees buzzing around your gardens. They are particularly attracted to blue, purple, violet, white and yellow. Bees favor sunny spots over shaded ones. Carefully select and apply pesticides when trying to control insect pests. Most insecticides are non-selective meaning they can kill beneficial insects like bees in addition to pests such as Japanese Beetles. Also read label instructions before applying an insecticide.

Flowers that attract bees include:
Alyssum – Anise Hyssop – Aster – Basil - Bee Balm – Black Eyed Susan – Butterfly Weed – Clover – Coneflower – Cranesbill Geranium – Lavender – Marjoram – Rosemary – Salvia - Sedum - Zinnias and native plants such as Goldenrod, thistles and Joe-pye weed.

Worms:
We may rarely think of worms and the benefits they provide to our gardens because we hardly see them unless we are turning the soil or digging a hole in our garden. However, their presence is a sign that our wildlife garden is healthy and in great shape. They are vital in that they aerate the soil which helps to maintain its structure and fertility. Worms convert organic materials into nutrients which plants can absorb. They loosen the soil so plant roots can grow more easily. A worm's excrement (often called castings) acts as an excellent compost material and helps ward off pests and diseases.

To increase worm populations:
Keep your gardens and yards well watered, not overly watered just regularly watered. Periodically add organic matter such as cow manure, compost, top soil and peat to your garden beds.