Attract Birds and Butterflies to the Garden

Add a little extra color, motion and interest to your landscape by attracting birds and butterflies to the garden. Make sure your yard provides all the essentials - food, water, shelter and a place to raise young. And, be sure to avoid the use of pesticides that can harm the wildlife you are trying to attract. 

Even those with small spaces or balcony gardens can bring these winged beauties into their outdoor living space. All you need are container plantings and a bird bath or small water feature. 

Include plants with tubular flowers of red or purple to attract the hummingbirds.  Fuchsia, columbine and hosta are great for shady areas while nictoiana, verbena and cuphea perform well in the sun. 

Use flat faced flowers like single marigolds and zinnias, daisies, garden phlox and heliotrope to bring in the butterflies.  And, you’ll need to provide food, like parsley, dill, butterfly weed and licorice vine for the caterpillars. 

And don’t forget to provide some nesting material for the birds each spring. Hang strands of colorful yarn in the trees or fill a suet feeder with bits of twine, string, yarn and dryer lint. The whole family will have fun watching the birds carry off the colorful bits as they build their nests. Then keep a lookout in your landscape and neighborhood for nests made with some of the materials you provided.

For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com

FREE GARDENING DEMOS on Sat., JUNE 9:

And I hope you can stop by and see me this weekend at Stein Gardens & Gifts locations for these FREE Container Gardening Demonstrations:

Saturday, June 9 - “Summer Container Gardens & Tips for Gardening Success” demos with Melinda Myers. She'll also be available to answer all your gardening questions

(11 a.m.-1 p.m.) - Stein's "Just Plants" – Cedarburg, N49 W6337 Western Road

(2:30 – 4:30 p.m.) -Stein Gardens & Gifts - Mequon, N10850W13 Port Washington Rd

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