Butterfly Magnets

Give Them The Plants They'll Love

From Your Home & Garden Showplace

Swarms of butterflies can transform a backyard patch into a magic garden. But there's no mystical tip for making them flutter around your house. You see, butterflies are attracted to flowers that have a heavy perfume because they contain more carbohydrates that are needed to fuel their high-intensity mating and flower-pollinating.

Here are a few butterfly favourites for your garden:

• Milkweed
• Valerian
• Buddleia (butterfly bush)
• Red zinnias
• Orange marigolds
• Lavender

Be sure to plant these flowers in a sunny spot that's protected from high winds. And don't use a light touch -- butterflies love abundant patches of nectar.

Here's another helpful tip. Plan the flowers so you that have at least a few nectar-bearing blooms throughout the summer months; that will keep the butterflies from having to seek out new feeding grounds.