Establishing a prairie garden
PrairieFlora planting guide
Garden varieties
Butterfly gardens Container gardening
Plant information
Bloom chart
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Butterfly Garden Tips
Start in a sunny spot: Butterflies are cold blooded and needed warmth to survive, it’s easier for them to fly when their body temperature ranges from 85° to 100°. Place taller plants on the north side: to prevent shading other plants Include nectar and host plants: to accommodate all stages of the butterfly life cycle, nectar producing plants for adults and host plants for caterpillars Select nectar plants that bloom at different times: to keep butterflies around throughout growing season Plant large clusters of same coloured flowers: butterflies recognize this as being able to gather a lot of nectar in one spot. They’re most attracted to purple, white, pink and yellow. Avoid using insecticides or pesticides: Limit weeding and cutting back plants: so as not to deprive caterpillars of food. Keep area of garden soil wet: or fill a container with sand and keep it wet. Butterflies need moisture to use a method called puddling to extract nutrients. Include basking stones
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