Starting a butterfly garden

Start a butterfly garden in the fall? you might be asking. You can begin now to get a jump on spring-and maybe save some money on inputs!!

One of the first questions you will need to answer is: do I have a site suitable to transform into a butterfly garden? It is best when you create a butterfly garden plan to be sure that it includes a location that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day-preferably early in the day.

Butterflies are cold-blooded insects that can only fly well when their body temperatures are above 70 degrees. Without proper warmth, butterflies are physically unable to fly. They will do better where they are warm and sheltered. Wind can be a butterfly's worst enemy. Wind currents make flight maneuvers difficult for butterflies and require the expenditure of extra energy as they try to feed, mate, and lay eggs.

If your sunny site isn't already sheltered from the wind, you can plant evergreens, tall shrubs and other plants to create a windbreak. A trellis also makes a nice backdrop if it fits into your garden landscape plan.

Keeping the above points in mind, the best of all worlds could be a butterfly garden placed on the south side of your home with windbreaks on both the west and east sides-a nice addition is to be able to view it from inside your home. Don't forget to provide seating outside as well to observe the antics of the butterflies. (Don't touch the butterflies when outside in your butterfly garden, if you can help it. The oils in our skin can be harmful to them.)

An excellent way to attract butterflies to your garden is to plant annuals and perennials that are bold masses of bright flowers and good nectar sources. Butterflies have a proboscis they use for eating--it's pretty much a curled up straw they can extend into flowers to drink nectar. The kinds of flowers you'll want to plant will provide the butterfly a place to land and be able to reach the nectar with his proboscis--butterflies can land on the bloom and spend a long time drinking without spending a lot of energy flying around.

Many plants are being labeled "for butterflies." As a rule of thumb, think of the Butterfly Bush (blooms that are actually small bunches of tiny flowers).

Maintenance practices are fairly simple. Remove spent flower panicles to encourage additional bloom through the summer. Insects and diseases are generally not major problems in Iowa. The biggest threat to the Butterfly Bush is our harsh winter weather. In late fall, mound a few inches of soil around the base of each plant. The soil protects the plant crowns and will hopefully prevent their complete destruction. The following spring, remove the soil and prune the plants back to within a few inches of the ground. Note: perennials planted in late summer should be mulched in late November with 4-6 inches of straw, etc.

Butterflies also like puddles. You can add permanent puddles to your butterfly garden by burying a bucket to its rim, then filling it with gravel or sand and adding water to the mixture.

Or, you could cover the bottom of a birdbath with sand and dirt. Just be sure to check each day to be sure there is water in there also.

Also, remember herbicides and pesticides can be deadly to both butterflies and their caterpillars. Becoming an organic gardener is very important in and around your butterfly garden.

Many plants will attract and encourage butterflies in Iowa. Ask at your garden center or contact your local extension office for Recommended Plants for a Butterfly Garden. And the bonus for starting this fall-you might be able find the plants or other items you choose for your butterfly garden on clearance!

If you have questions about starting a butterfly garden or any other lawn and garden question, please call Mimi Shanahan, horticulturist at Woodbury County Extension. The phone number is (712) 276-2157 or e-mail mimishan@iastate.edu.