What is the best time to plant a butterfly garden?
Depending on where you’re situated, autumn/fall and spring are great times to prepare and plant your butterfly garden. Fall is my generally recommended period. Some plants that butterflies love are tender or annuals, and so would be planted in spring time, if you get cold winter weather. I know that you have a Citrus tree, so assume that it’s reasonably mild, but I do some gardening in Louisiana where we still got some good freezes, yet have Citrus galore around us. Generally, most herbaceous and shrubby plants are better planted in fall, as this allows them to continue rooting through to spring and the following summer, making them better able to withstand summer heat and drought. They should also flower better, and be larger plants by that time, than if planted in spring. Generally the easiest thing for children to marvel at, as well as the wildlife you attract, are plants that transform themselves quickly, such as seeds that sprout, grow and flower in the first year. Many of these a
