Butterfly Gardening

Butterflies are a welcome addition to any garden, and with a few simple design principles are easily attracted, making that border, nature strip or school garden come to life. Of the 400 odd species of Australian butterflies, there are 80 in Victoria and 24 in urban Melbourne, - and they are all native, except for that nuisance in the vegie patch, the cabbage moth. So it makes sense to attract and feed your Australian butterflies on local indigenous plants.

Nectar traps

Colourful, massed beds draw butterflies in and keep them happily moving through the garden. They particularly like blue, yellow and red, but are attracted to a large range of colours, with bold clusters of flowers more effective than single plants dotted through a garden.

Flowers

The shape of the flower is important too, with simple, flat flowers easier for butterflies to extract nectar. Double flowers with their multiple petals are too complex. But daisies, native pelargoniums and bluebells, saltbush plants, and pea flowers are especially useful.

Position, position, position

Butterflies use the early morning sun to warm themselves and retreat to cooler, shadier places during the heat of the day. Providing a sheltered position that combines warmth and protection is ideal. Also consider adding flat rocks for butterflies to bask and to court each other. Mud puddles or a dish of damp sand can provide them with water and salts.

Host plants

Incorporate host plants for the butterflies to lay her eggs. The caterpillars are generally small and shy, and won't devastate the garden. Popular indigenous plants include Bursaria and Mat rush, and grasses such as Kangaroo grass Wallaby grass and Tussock grass.

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