Introduce your children to a world of beauty and wonder by cultivating a special home in your yard for butterflies.

Butterflies are some of our most beautiful wild creatures. Over 150 different butterfly species can be found in the Midwestern United States. However, many of these lovely insects are becoming rarer. The destruction of our hedges and woodlands, and modern agricultural techniques involving wide use of pesticides and herbicides, have led to the loss of wildflower meadows and the insects they support.

You can do your bit to help reverse this decline. You don’t need a lot of space, but with a little knowledge and careful planning you can make your garden a suitable feeding - and even breeding - station.

For Butterflies: Plant several different flowers to make nectar available throughout spring, summer and fall. Butterflies are generally attracted to purple, orange, yellow or red flowers.

There are five basic things to remember when planning a butterfly garden:

1. Butterflies are 'cold-blooded,' so they love sunlight and need it to become active! Make sure that the plants are in direct sunlight for much of the day.
2. Butterflies like to "puddle." Your garden needs a type of watering hole for the butterflies to drink from. This can be done by simply filling a terra cotta pot or small plastic bucket with small rocks or pebbles about two inches from the brim. Add water to fill the remaining space and place in the center of your garden.
3. Butterflies like lots of color! Group clusters of the same plant together to make them easier for butterflies to see. A group of colorful flowers attracts them easier than single flowers.
4. Butterflies love to eat nectar. Use several of these nectar- producing plants to attract them: milkweed, azalea, goldenrod, black-eyed susan, zinnia, aster, phlox, Japanese honeysuckle, ironweed. A few nectar-producing shrubs are: butterfly bush, various fruit trees, privet, lilac and redbud.
5. Butterflies need a place to lay their eggs, so provide host plants such as: snapdragon, violets, milkweed, daisies, parsley, dill, Queen Anne's Lace, aster and clovers.

In late summer and autumn, ice plant, goldenrod and then michaelmas daisy give butterflies a last boost before winter hibernation.

Persuading butterflies to breed:
The female insect is very choosy about the types of plant she will lay her eggs on - different caterpillars like different food plants and they're usually native species. The easiest to attract are the nettle feeders. Grow a patch of stinging nettles in a sunny, sheltered spot. It may be advisable to plant them in an old tub sunk in the ground to prevent them spreading. This could then attract small tortoiseshell, peacock, comma and red admiral.