The easiest way to attract butterflies to your garden

A garden with butterflies moving through it feels different to one without them, and the good news is you don't have to do much to get them. They want four things, and once those four are there they turn up on their own and keep coming back.

One. Plant the nectar they actually want

Butterflies are fussy eaters for a good reason. They're after flowers that hold plenty of nectar, because that's the fuel for all that flying. Bright colours pull them in, so think yellows, oranges and deep purples rather than subtle whites.

Marigold, alyssum, zinnia and cornflower are all easy from seed and all of them get worked over by butterflies. An Australian native flower mix does the same job and it suits our conditions better than most of what gets recommended overseas.

One thing worth avoiding. Some of the plants that get pushed as butterfly magnets in overseas gardening articles are declared weeds here, so check before you plant something on the strength of a blog from the other side of the world. If you're not sure, ask us and we'll tell you what we've got that does the same job.

Two. Feed the caterpillars too

This is the bit most people skip. Butterflies need somewhere to lay eggs and something for the caterpillars to eat once they hatch, and that plant is usually not the same one the adults feed on.

Dill and parsley are the easy ones, they're cheap from seed, and you'll be growing them anyway for the kitchen. Yes, the leaves get chewed. That is the whole point, and the trade is a new generation of butterflies rather than a tidy herb bed.

Three. Give them somewhere warm to sit

Butterflies run on heat. They need to warm their wings before they can fly properly, which is why you see them sitting still on a path first thing in the morning. Put a few flat stones in a sunny spot out of the wind and you've made the exact thing they're looking for.

A spot with some shelter matters more than people expect. A garden that's open to a stiff wind gets very few butterflies no matter what's flowering in it.

Four. Put water out

A shallow dish of water with a few pebbles in it gives them somewhere to land and drink without drowning. Deep water is no use to them at all. Top it up in hot weather, tip it out and refill it every few days so it stays clean, and put it where you can see it from the kitchen window.

And go easy on the sprays

Broad spectrum insecticides don't tell the difference between a pest and a caterpillar, so anything you spray to deal with aphids will take out the butterflies you're trying to attract. Spot treat rather than blanket spray, do it in the evening when nothing is flying, and read the label for what it says about bees, because that's a fair proxy for the rest of them.

Why it's worth the effort

Butterflies pollinate, which means the flowers, fruit and vegetables in your garden do better for having them around. They also make a garden a place you want to sit in, and that's most of the reason to have one.

Shop related products

• D.T Brown Marigold Sparky Mixed. Dwarf French marigold, long flowering, good along a border.
• D.T Brown Alyssum Pastel Carpet. Low growing, scented, and it flowers for months.
• D.T Brown Australian Native Flower Mix. Billy buttons, Swan River daisy and kangaroo paw in one packet.
• D.T Brown Dill. A host plant for the caterpillars, and it earns its spot in the kitchen too.

Did you know we also stock decorative pebbles, pot saucers, terracotta pots and bird baths in the shop. Not all of it is listed online, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf.

The rest of the seed range is in the garden centre, and if you want a bed that flowers right through the warm months, come in and we'll put a list together with you.

More from the garden

• Native wildflowers that bring pollinators to your garden
• Why water brings pollinators into a garden
• Summer flowering plants that cope with South Australian heat

I'm a sucker for anything with wings on it, bees especially, and I'll take a chewed parsley plant over a tidy one any day.

Cheers,
Candeece