Grow plants that attract butterflies in your urban garden.
Your urban garden can become a sanctuary and an antidote from the challenges of urban living. Exposure to pollution, disconnection from nature and wildlife, and surroundings of building and other structures can be elements of an urban lifestyle. Incorporating plants that address these issues into your urban garden will help to create a soothing oasis in the urban jungle. Does this Spark an idea?
Night-Scented Flowers
Many urban dwellers spend evenings in their gardens. Planting flowers which release their scents at this time helps offset the urban odor of car exhaust. The large yellow flowers of the evening primrose release a sweet aroma in the evenings. The flowers of the evening-scented stock only open after sunset, and these purple flowers emit a spicy and tangy scent. Moonflowers are climbing plants with large white flowers. The flowers open after dark to reflect the moonlight and release a sweet scent.
Culinary Herbs
Adding fresh, home-grown herbs to your favorite recipes brightens up the taste of the food. You can grow herbs in flower beds, vegetable beds or in containers, depending on how much space you have to devote to this. The basic, most frequently used, herbs to grow include basil, dill, chives, parsley, oregano and thyme. All forms of mint, including peppermint and spearmint, spread quickly, so plant them in small containers to restrict their growth. More unusual herbs to try are Thai basil, chocolate mint, French tarragon, lemon balm and thyme.
Climbing Plants
Use climbing plants to hide walls, fences and buildings that surround your urban garden. By encouraging the growth of vines up and around these structures, you will replace the sight of bricks and wooden slats with a green screen. Many screening plants have attractive foliage, flowers and scents. Perennial vines, such as clematis, wisteria and hardy kiwis, return each growing season. Plant annual vines, which include moonflowers, scarlet bean runners and morning glory, as soon as the soil warms and enjoy their colorful blooms for that growing season.
Attracting Butterflies
Bring colorful wildlife into your garden by growing plants that attract butterflies. The butterfly bush is one of the most popular plants that produce nectar for butterflies and is attractive to most species of butterfly. Echinacea produces attractive purple cone-shaped flowers that also attract a wide variety of butterflies. The black cherry is a woody plant that attracts the tiger swallowtail and red spotted purple species of butterflies. Various types of verbenas produce nectar prized by many types of butterflies.
Tags: plants that, your urban garden, attract butterflies, growing season, into your, open after