Learning What I Need To Do To Attract Butterflies To Our Backyard

I moved to Moncton, New Brunswick back in 1980 but it wasn’t until about 25 years later that we finally had a place we were allowed to dig up the yard, because we bought our own property.

In the time that we have been living and home gardening here in Moncton I have only every seed just a few butterflies. I think they were pure white and pure yellow. Nothing else but I want that to change.

I grew up in the 60s seeing lots of butterflies but when I started gardening I expected to see a lot more butterflies than I am seeing so I have to do something to draw them to our backyard and vegetable garden.

Monarch butterflies are my favourite but I know there are other butterflies that would match their beauty, just haven’t seen them here. I’ve had to start learning more about butterflies and how they live in order to change our yard to plants and flowers that specific butterflies, like the monarch, likes.

We Are Planting A Butterfly Garden This Spring

Went out looking for some seeds to start a butterfly and hummingbird garden. I will be planting them in the backyard where I can watch them from my office window.

I found a few packs of seeds that should do the trick, now I just have to create a couple of new flower beds for those seeds.

Of course I won’t get as much work done in my office if I do this but hey I’m retired and can move as slow as I want.

Resources For Butterfly Gardening

Youtube is always a great resource for learning more about any subject butterfly gardening  included. I found The Ten Commandments of Butterfly Gardening to be quite informative and worth watching.

Another useful video is from Bird Man Mel’s Youtube video channel.

Maybe you would like to learn how to raise butterflies, then check out the article at Butterfly Gardening website.

Just watched a video that showed me how to attract butterflies with mud pies with P. Allen Smith as well as a second one called attracting butterflies.

Host Plants For Butterflies

I have been thinking about the plants that butterflies like to get nectar from but I didn’t put any thought at all into the plants these butterflies use to lay their eggs on which are called host plants. So glad I have been watching videos to help me learn what I need to get and keep butterflies in our yard.

Example: We have black swallowtail butterflies in New Brunswick so I need host plants for their eggs and for the caterpillars to feed on before they eventually become the adult butterfly. Just this morning I learned they love the carrot family so carrot tops, fennel and Queen Anne’s Lace.

However, to host Monarch butterflies which have been my favourite since childhood I will need members of the milkweed family as a host.

I’ve Learned Which Butterflies Live Here

I couldn’t tell you how many varieties of butterflies there are in North America or my own province of New Brunswick so I’ve very happy we have Internet to do some research to see how many we have here and which ones frequent the Moncton area.

Learning which butterflies we have will help me pick the right nectar and host plants for our yard and garden.

Butterflies In New Brunswick Canada

I used the Maritimes Butterfly Atlas to find the butterflies in New Brunswick and then those that frequent Moncton where we live.

I’m excited about this year’s gardening and hope to see many more butterflies than I’ve ever seen and if I can find their host plants locally I’ll be seeing more and more butterflies every year from now on.

Just watched another video that I found very informative and had to share it here.