Tips on How to Invite Birds and Butterflies to Your Garden

26 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in The Great Outdoors

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bee balm, better homes and gardens, birdbath, birds, black-eyed Susan, butterflies, butterfly bush, cosmos, critters, flowers, foliage, garden, iris, leafy plants, native grasses, parsley, plants, purple coneflower, rocks, sedum, whimsy, wild, wildflowers, wildlife sanctuary, zinnia

I love nature and plants so when I bought my first home I was surely excited to create my first garden. Being someone who also loves animals, how could I not design an environment that invites all the lovely little creatures to play. When I first started looking for flowers and plants for my garden, I made sure I chose ones that attracted butterflies and included my bird bath so the birdies can play as well.

Here are some great tips from Better Homes and Gardens on how to invite little lovelies to your garden and what plants to pick that will lure them to explore. You may even have some who call your backyard home and in that case, yourself a big pat on the back. It’s such a great feeling to be surrounded by nature’s creations and with these next few tips you will be there in no time.

Butterfly Heaven: Invite butterflies to come and play with colorful beauties such as cosmos, zinnia, black-eyed Susan and butterfly bush. By creating a corner garden you can watch as they all explore your playground of goodies.

Easy Peasy: If foliage is more your style instead of flowers, then give this garden a try. Not only is it easy to care for, it will look great during the fall and winter seasons as well. Make sure to include purple coneflower, sedum, and iris to bring all the birdies to your yard.

Wild and Free: If you love plants that have a sense of free spirit and wild flair then planting native grasses and wildflowers is right up your alley. Birds and butterflies love these and how could they not? Including them in your garden adds a touch of whimsy and fun that all those tiny critters love.

Small Spaces: Even if you only have a few feet of space for your garden, you can create a haven for happy creatures. With plants like bee balm, sedum, and butterfly bush your wildlife sanctuary can be born.

In Love with Butterflies: If you adore butterflies then these next plants will bring you tons of happy. The bed of the garden attracts them while all the blooms offer nectar. To nourish the larvae include leafy plants such as parsley to give them what they love. Thrown in a few rocks for the butterflies to catch some rays and a birdbath for everyone to take a water break.

For more gardening tips check out the rest of this article on The Better Homes & Gardens website.

Birdbath Garden

15 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Crafty Ideas

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art, birdbath, birds, crafts, garden, gardening, plants, succulents

If you are like me, then you love nature. Especially, plants. Bringing the outside in is a great way to provide cleaner air in your home. It is also proven to keep you happier. Plants are amazing for a number of reasons, but the fact that they look cool and can add a natural touch to any room is a reason all of its own to buy them.

A few years ago I stopped by a garage sale and noticed a beautiful bird bath they had on the lawn. When I asked if it was for sale they said it was $20. For that amount of money how could I let it go!

Birdbaths can be pretty pricey and finding one you love that is affordable and in good condition rarely happens. At the time I didn’t have a back yard but I was thinking of how I can get creative and use it inside my apartment. First, I thought of making it a table by filling it with rocks and shells and then topping it off with a piece of glass. Definitely something you should try But I was trying to make this a cheaper project so I thought of the next best thing, a birdbath garden.

Now, since the birdbath is not that deep you can only use certain plants in it. I find that succulents are the best way to go because they don’t need a lot of dirt to live and you only have to water them like once a month. So, I was on my way to creating a little haven of desert plants. Here is how I did it:

First, buy a couple of bags of rocks, any will do, and place a half inch layer on the bottom of the birdbath. You need to do this for drainage. Then buy some organic soil (unless you have some around the house) and fill a thin layer over the rocks and make sure they are all covered.

Now, plant about four to five plants with a couple of inches in between them. Give them some room to breathe. I purchased my succulents at Ikea (they are only $4 there) but any garden center or Home Depot type store should have them too. Usually, everyone has a store or nursery they like to go so feel free to do what you like or shop around.

Once you have the plants placed where you want them to be, fill in the spaces with some more soil so they are safe and secure. You don’t want the roots sticking out!

Last but not least, place another layer of rocks or sand on top so you don’t just see dirt. This will be the finishing touch that will make your birdbath garden look awesome. Now make sure you keep your garden by a window because succulents need lots of light. I wouldn’t want your new buddies to die to soon!

If you’re wondering where the birdbath is now, I will gladly tell you it is in our backyard in a small garden where the birdies play and explore. Finally, it has a place to really call home and is surrounded by nature and adorable little creatures.

I hope you have fun shopping around for the elements that will make this DIY project a beautiful addition to your home. I promise it will look amazing and end up being a cool conversational piece to any room. Good Luck!