Butterflies

What is a garden without butterflies floating gracefully in and out among the blossoms? Incomplete! Butterflies need plants to lay eggs on, plants to munch on as caterpillars, and plants with nectar for the adults. You need to provide them with shallow pools of water (large plastic saucers with a couple of skipper rocks in it). And shelter from the wind. Shrubs and trees will do nicely for shelter. A couple of rivers rocks for them to warm themselves is also needed.

Remember that you will not be using any chemicals in your garden. You will have leaves with holes in them, and maybe a blossom eaten up as well. That is the price to be paid for having Butterflies in your garden.

Put cut branches of magnolia, crabapple, and forsythia in vases for forcing blooms indoors.