Here are more tips for what to plant to attract butterflies and hummingbirds and how to keep them happy, healthy, and returning to your yard. If you can deal with this, then you can make butterflies at home in your garden with puddles for drinking and cooling off, logs for shelter, host plants for laying eggs, and, of course, flowers for nectar. Bright colors will catch their eye in flight, so consider planting your butterfly plants in swaths large enough for them to spot. A butterfly plant here and there is not going to do the trick. Remember never to use pesticides on your plants, if you are encouraging butterflies to visit. And keep them in flower longer by regularly deadheading the spent blossoms so that new ones will form. We often forget that birds need access to water, as much as they need food. Hummingbirds particularly like a gentle mist from a fountain or waterfall. Placing one or two near your plants is sure to attract them to your garden. You can also encourage these birds to return to your yard every year by offering hummingbird feeders filled with tasty homemade nectar. You can include them in a designated herb garden or incorporate these herbs into any border. However, keep in mind that the caterpillars of many popular butterflies will also feed on your herb plants. Try not to panic—the caterpillars will quickly turn into butterflies, and your herbs will regrow.
