Herbs and butterflies are both beautiful. Why not take your love of both and combine them into a butterfly-loving herb garden! Butterflies, to me, are like mobile renditions of the most intricately designed gardens with all of their patterns and colors so delicately and perfectly placed. To watch them flutter and rest and feed only to take flight, hover, and do it all over again in a setting rich with scents and texture – OH! it’s like heaven for the herb and nature lover!
Butterflies don’t tolerate toxins, so if you have some of these beauties flitting about, you’ve already created an acceptable environment. Are they also laying eggs on your plants? A double yay! They must be reasonably happy if they feel comfortable having their families there! To continue to add to that, or to begin creating such a paradise, be mindful of the needs of an adult butterfly. Two different types of plants are important for their habitat: nectar plants for eating and host plants for laying their eggs on so the larvae can feed when hatched.
Here are a few suggestions for plants that will draw in those kaleidoscopes of color that make your garden literally come alive!
Monarchs and the Black Swallowtail butterflies are two beautiful common species in Northeast Ohio. Several nectar plants that will attract them include bee balm, lemon balm, cat mint and catnip, purple cone flower, borage, lavender, thyme, oregano, and parsley. You will thoroughly enjoy the scents, flowers, colors, and uses while your delicate friends joyously sip on the sweet and nutritious nectar that they provide.
Host plants that will provide equal pleasure for both of you include the above borage and parsley along with chives, fennel, and dill. Fennel and dill will also provide an airy fantasy-like appearance with their feathery foliage…perfect for a fairy lover’s design.
Keep in mind that a quieter protected area that still receives plenty of sunlight would be best suited for your flighty friends. As you can imagine, it might be a bit challenging to lay eggs when the wind is gusting up to 30 mph! A regular water source should be provided as well – perhaps a quiet, shallow area, where the butterflies can land and still reach the water. The larger the area, the stronger the scent, and the greater the likelihood of attracting a variety of butterflies. OH – and don’t forget your comfy chair strategically placed so you can sit quietly, take in the fragrances, and experience the full pleasure of your creation!
Have you ever created such a lovely garden? Let us know in the comments what has worked and what kinds of butterflies call your garden home!
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If you would like to contribute to this feature with your own nerdy thoughts, please write me at patty@littleacornmedia.com with herb nerd as the subject.