Growing My First Butterfly Garden

You are about to create an environment for one of the most beautiful creatures on earth, the wonderful butterfly. This creation will be in your very own special place of your choice so that you can follow the entire lifecycle of the butterfly. You will want to start your garden at the right time of year, depending on where you live, and then you can sit back and watch for your butterflies to appear.

The Lifecycle of the Butterfly

Egg –Butterflies will only lay their eggs on a special plant, known as a host plant. Different types of butterflies like different types of plants, but the Monarch likes the milkweed the most as her host plant. This plant is special because it will serve as an instant food source for the emerging caterpillar.

Caterpillar –The caterpillar will emerge from the egg in about a week. It starts eating, and it eats and eats and eats and eats.

Chrystalis –When the caterpillar finally stops eating, it finds a proper place to putate (turn into a chrystalis), which is like a moth in a cocoon.

When the butterfly is ready to appear, the chrysalis splits open, and the adult butterfly emerges and is in search of some sweet nectar to feed on like the Penta plant.

Now that we have learned the Life Cycle of the butterfly let’s get started on your butterfly garden.

You Need:

• 1 – starter Penta plant (or another type of nectar plant for your favorite butterfly)
• 1 – starter Milkweed plant (or another type of host plant that your favorite caterpillar will like to eat)
• 1 – 3 gallon planting pot
• 1 – bag of potting soil
• 1 – magnifying glass (Optional)

Instructions: Take your 3 – gallon planting pot and fill it 1/2 with the potting soil. Take your starter Penta plant and loosen it around the edges (by rolling the pot in your hands) then carefully lift the plant from its container and place it in the 3 – gallon pot. Make sure to put it on one side to leave enough room for your starter Milkweed plant. Now carefully loosen your Milkweed plant and lift it from its container and place it into the 3 – gallon pot next to your Penta plant. Take some more potting soil and pour it over your plants in the 3 – gallon container. You will want to fill it up to about 2 inches from the top, making sure that the plant roots are fully covered. Once this step is completed, lightly pat down the soil and give your butterfly garden a nice drink of water.

Finding the Perfect Spot for your Butterfly Garden:

Take a look around your yard and pick a special spot where your butterfly garden will be safe and get plenty of sunshine to grow. Place your garden in the special spot and remember to give it a drink of water each day.

Keeping a Watchful Eye: Each day you will want to keep a watchful eye out for female butterflies. She will lay her eggs on the underside of your milkweed leaves, and in a few days you just might be able to take your magnifying glass and see tiny caterpillars wiggling around in their safe shell.

Once your caterpillar hatches from its egg, it will eat and eat. Then your caterpillar will pupate into the Chrysalis. In about 2 weeks your adult butterfly will emerge from the Chrysalis, which completes the lifecycle, and she will fly to your Penta plant for a sip of sweet nectar.

Sources:

The sources and information in this article come from my own knowledge and hard work of raising my very own butterflies.