If you are really excited about the prospect of attracting butterflies, but it is too late in the season to dig beds or set out trees and shrubbery, there is a way you can still make a butterfly garden almost instantly—use plants in containers.

SITE POSSIBILITIES

Before heading for the nearest plant dealer, take a few minutes to give some thought to the possibilities that your yard may offer. Next, following some of the same steps used in creating a new garden, make a plan of how much space you have and the amount of time and money you want to spend.

Start by walking around your house and yard, noting areas where pots, containers, or hanging baskets can be used. There are many ways to make a small space become a haven for butterflies, so give every nook and cranny a good, long look. Because the choice of location for a container grouping is as important as for planting beds or borders, consider only open, protected locations in full sun. An area close to a water faucet or the end of a watering hose would be really handy, as potted plants need watering more often than bedded plants.

Following are a few site possibilities to keep in mind as you walk about, but do not be limited by these. No yard is exactly like another or used in the same way, so let your imagination soar. Choose what will work for your yard while providing the butterflies what they need.

1. A sunny wall of the house, garage, or tool shed where half baskets could be attached or full baskets hung from the roof edge

2. A strip of trellis fastened to a sunny wall for climbing larval food plants and a grouping of pots or other containers on the ground beneath

3. One corner of the yard, or an area where a corner can be “made” with lengths of bamboo fencing and a grouping of containers arranged in staggered heights

4. Outermost edges of uncovered porches, decks, or patios

5. Wooden or metal railings of stairways, balconies, or porches where pots or baskets can be attached

6. The immediate area around a mailbox post

7. Wooden fences, pillars, or posts where hanging baskets can be fastened in a staggered arrangement

8. Old wrought-iron or metal tables, benches, or chairs or wooden picnic tables that are no longer used and where pots can be arranged

9. The edge of a driveway or walk or on steps or stairways where containers can be placed in a pleasing arrangement yet still allow passage

10. Window boxes on the sunny sides of the house with baskets hanging above

CONTAINERS

Now that some garden sites have been selected where containers would work well, next consider the containers themselves. Gather all the hanging baskets, pots, or planting containers you possess, and set them out where they are easy to see and work with. Old wash pots, battered buckets, and bushel baskets add character to the planting. Sturdy baskets from the house can be used. They will last only one season but are lovely when a potted plant is placed inside. Look around for such objects as concrete blocks or short square or round tiles, such as those used for drainage or chimney flues, that can be stood on end and filled with soil.

Picturesque old stumps or pieces of driftwood can be incorporated into the grouping, not only as effective focal points but as convenient basking areas for the butterflies. If the arrangement of pots is to be on or near the ground, a salt or puddling area can be added. Make plans for this in one of the groupings.

In making container selections, keep in mind that metal or plastic containers have a tendency to become exceptionally hot when placed in the sun; plant roots may be burned from the overheated soil. Wooden or clay pots keep the roots much cooler, although clay is very porous, with rapid loss of soil moisture. Plants in clay pots will most likely need more frequent watering. One way around this problem is to set one clay pot inside a larger clay pot, filling the area between the two pots with sphagnum moss or sand. If this filler is kept moist, it not only reduces evaporation but helps keep the plant roots several degrees cooler. Plants in plastic pots also benefit from the coolness of being placed in larger clay pots lined with moist sphagnum.

Any type of wooden container is probably best for these instant plantings, but they have the drawback of being heavier than either plastic or clay. If the containers are very large, swivel rollers can be screwed to the bottom. This not only makes them easier to move around but raises them off the ground and prevents rotting of the wood.

A CHARMING CONTAINER OF OLD-FASHIONED PERTUNIAS (Petunia axillaris)

Wonderful configurations can be made by stacking concrete blocks. If the gray color of the blocks is intrusive, they can be painted with a flat paint of soft, subtle earth colors or concealed with rustic split logs, cork sheeting, rough cedar boards, or old bricks. The blocks should be stacked so that there are holes for filling with soil.

Measure the width and depth of the containers selected for the plantings and the overall area where they are to be placed. Put as much of the future arrangement together as possible; then make a list of things that you need to obtain. Finally, make a list of the more common, tougher plants known to be readily used by butterflies. Include height and bloom period of each plant. Once at the nursery, ask for advice about the number of plants needed for each container you have.

SELECTING AND ARRANGING PLANTS

The choice of plants for this instant garden will be limited to what the nurseries have in stock at the time, but there should be enough available to attract butterflies within hours after the plants are brought home and arranged.

In making the selection for these containers and baskets, it is important here as in a regular garden planting to choose a few species and have many containers of the same plant rather than a half-dozen different pots of a dozen different species. Let the size, shape, and placement of the containers break up the monotony of the planting and be of interest to people. At the same time, the mass of a single nectar source will be of most interest to the butterflies.

If hanging baskets are being planned in the new arrangement, occasionally nurseries will offer baskets already planted with Pentas (Pentas lanceolata), Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), or verbenas (Verbena spp.) and lantanas (Lantana spp.). If planting them yourself, wire baskets already lined with sphagnum moss are best. After purchasing needed plants, baskets, extra sphagnum moss, and soil, you are now ready to begin planting and making final arrangement of containers in the space chosen.

For container planting, the very best potting soils should be used, and this can become expensive when filling several large containers. To cut down on the amount of soil needed, place in the bottom of the container a large plastic pot upside down or sealed, empty plastic jugs. This takes up some of the space yet leaves plenty of soil for the plants. It also lightens the container considerably, making it easier to move if necessary.

In planting the baskets, before adding any soil, place a plastic drip dish (the kind ordinarily used beneath pots) in the bottom of the basket. This acts as a reservoir and cuts down on the amount of watering required. Make sure the moss around the sides is extra thick; if it is not, the soil will be washed away during continual summer watering. Extra sphagnum may be needed to secure the plants that are planted on the sides of the basket and to close any gaps after the plants are in place.

VERBENAS (Verbena spp.) WORK WELL IN CONTAINER GARDENS, HERE WITH AMERICAN LADY (Vanessa virginiensis).

Food plants for some larvae can easily be grown in some of the containers. Place four to six plants of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) for the Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) in a low container to be placed in a prominent spot. Or plant a few of the taller-growing common fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) or dill (Anethum graveolens) in the middle of a pot (also for the Black Swallowtail); then plant parsley as an edging or use a flowering plant such as Sweet Alyssum or Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). A large pot or two of such a planting will add a ferny touch to an otherwise all-floral arrangement and make the overall area more attractive. Place a small trellis or a strong, decorative, many-twigged shrub branch in some of the pots, and plant climbing vines of pipevine (Aristolochia spp.) for the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) or passionflowers (Passiflora spp.) for the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae incarnata) and Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia). Every container of plants, whether purchased already potted or planted yourself, should be mulched with small- to medium-sized bark chips. Bark mulch prevents rain from washing soil from around the roots and, more important, helps conserve moisture. Never use sphagnum for mulching, since it dries out very quickly when exposed to air. When dry, the moss acts as a sponge, drawing water away from the roots of the plant.

If gardening in one of the more arid regions of the state, place shallow terra-cotta or plastic pans or drip trays beneath the pots to conserve liquid that may run out of the pots when water or fertilizer is being applied. Attached to the bottom of hanging baskets, pans or trays prevent dripping on the plants underneath and provide a longer period of available moisture. In rain-prone East Texas, excellent and immediate drainage may be required. Making large drainage holes and raising containers off the ground by placing them on thin stones may be necessary.

In the final arranging, for both the health of the plants and for attracting the attention of butterflies, plants should be placed at varying heights. Place taller-growing plants to the back or middle of the group. Some plants, such as lantana and verbena, spread outward and should be placed low and to the front or side of the grouping. Different heights can easily be obtained by placing the containers on old bricks, flat stones, tiles, overturned chipped or cracked pots, or old stumps.

RED-FRUITED PASSIONFLOWERS (Passiflora foetida) ARE STUNNING CLIMBING VINES.

A word of caution here: Once they are arranged, do not move the plants about simply on a whim. Butterflies are very habitual; once a butterfly has found a food source, it comes back to it regularly until the flower is no longer in bloom. If the plant is moved very far away, the butterfly tends to become a little put out and may discontinue feeding. This is another reason to keep plants in a grouping composed of several plants of the same species, and the plants of each type all of one color. This way, if a container of a certain plant in the most conspicuous spot stops flowering well, it can be exchanged for a better-flowering one from the back of the grouping. Only the pots, not a species, will be changed, and the butterflies will not be as leery of the difference in appearance.

One excellent plant that should be included in this type of planting is the nonnative Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). Not only will this plant bloom throughout the summer and into fall but if brought indoors and placed in a sunny position, it will continue blooming through the winter. On warm, sunny days (when the hibernators might be out) it can be carried (or rolled) outside. For this continuation of bloom, it is best if the plant is not allowed to form seedpods. If possible, have several pots of this plant and keep some of them trimmed back for new, lower growth and more bloom.

MALACHITE (Siproeta stelenes biplagiata) AND LANTANA (Lantana spp.)

At the end of the flowering season, if there were any perennials in your container planting, do not let them go to waste. Empty the containers, separate the plants into small divisions, and plant these in the permanent border. There will most likely be enough plants to make a nice showing the next season and provide an ample nectar source for the butterflies.

MAINTENANCE

Plants in containers need more attention than the same species planted in the garden. This does not mean a lot of time-consuming work must be done, but it does mean the plants must be checked at least once a day. Constant monitoring of the moisture, feeding, and rearranging will be necessary to ensure the plants remain healthy and full of flowers.

Since the objective is a mass of plants in a very small area, the plants will be overcrowded aboveground, and the roots underground will have little room in which to expand. There is going to be much competition between the plants within each pot, and the soil will quickly be depleted of both nutrients and moisture. And again, the caution to water the plants at soil level and not in an overall “sprinkling” fashion. Here, as in the garden, nectar is the attractant and must not be diluted or washed away.

For newly planted containers, a root stimulator should be added at the time of planting. After two weeks a regular feeding regime should be started using a good, all-around fertilizer. A good combination is to apply a slow-release fertilizer at the time of planting, and then once weekly apply a weak solution of liquid fertilizer. If a dry fertilizer is used, water before and after adding the granules. The absolute best is a weekly addition of earthworm pellets. It is imperative that container plants receive adequate feeding, for without added food they quickly sicken and die.

Watering is the biggest chore for container gardening, but an absolutely necessary one. It usually has to be done daily, and during July and August twice a day may not be too often. It is not the easiest thing to do, either, especially for hanging baskets. The simplest arrangement is to have the containers as close to a faucet as possible and to install a hose-reel on the house or a nearby fixture; then the hose can be conveniently unrolled for watering and rolled back up when finished. A stout bamboo pole firmly wired to the last two or three feet of the hose allows the top of the hanging baskets to be reached without a stepladder. If there are only a few containers, the watering problem can be solved by simply dropping a handful of ice cubes into the containers each day.

Keep all spent flowering heads clipped to ensure continual flowering. Especially watch native species, for if these are left to form ripe seeds, most species will stop flowering. Some plants, such as lantana and verbena, benefit from clipping portions of the plants back to near the base, thus encouraging new growth and another round of flowering.

CONSTRUCTING A DRY BED

The term “dry bed” is used here to describe a temporary flower bed where the soil in the bed does not come in contact with the ground. It is essentially a bottomless box lined with plastic sheeting and placed on top of concrete or some other impermeable surface. This alternative might be right for you if you have neither the time nor the inclination to care for numerous flower beds or hanging baskets. Or it may be that your yard is too shaded for butterflies and the only really open, sunny spot is a driveway or a patio.

Constructing a dry bed is relatively simple. Select an area on a hard surface such as a concrete driveway, a wide walkway, or a brick or stone patio or porch. Begin to lay out the building materials, which can be railroad ties, rough cedar logs, sections of short half logs, concrete blocks, old bricks, or stones. Place them in the bed configuration best suiting your needs and space. Designing the bed is the same as if you were digging one in the garden, except in this case you are placing it on top of a hard surface.

After the bed is outlined to your satisfaction, be sure it is built at least eight to ten inches high; twelve to fourteen inches would be even better. Keep in mind that the bed will act exactly as a pot or container and must be filled with extra-rich potting soil; ordinary garden soil will not do. If the building materials make it necessary for the bed to be deep, the bottom portion can be partially filled with small plastic pots turned upside down to conserve soil. If the bed has been placed where drainage direction is important, heap up gravel or small round stones in the bottom of the bed site on the opposite side of the needed direction of drainage flow, slightly raising and slanting the bed on one side.

ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL (Eurytides marcellus) AND GARDEN ZINNIA (Zinnia elegans)

Once the bed is at the desired height and its drainage material is arranged, completely line the interior of the bed with an extra-heavy sheet of plastic, preferably clear, placing it on top of the drainage material. Smooth the sheet into all the corners to conform to the shape of the bed as much as possible. Do not split or cut the plastic to make it conform in shape, but fold it tightly and tape if necessary. After you have made this liner fit as well as possible, punch a few drainage holes in the bottom with an ice pick or a small nail.

Place a one- or two-inch layer of coarse gravel, pine bark, or wood chips in the bottom of the bed. Add a two-inch layer of sphagnum moss for moisture retention. Next, begin to fill the bed with potting mix. The soil will be somewhat fluffy, so, to prevent settling, pour the soil out in layers, ever so gently patting down between layers. After the bed is filled with the soil, roll back the excess plastic around the edges and tuck it in neatly, leaving it about an inch below the top of the walls. Trimming excess plastic can be done at this time.

Before the actual planting, place the potted plants in a pleasing position; then, stand back and visualize what they will look like in a month or so. If some of the plants are the trailing type, place these toward the front or the outer edges; arrange taller plants either in the center or at the back. As the plants are being placed, water them in with the addition of a root stimulator. After all planting is done, spray the entire area gently and briefly just to settle the soil and clean off the foliage.

If there are gaps in the building material or around the edges that allow the plastic to be seen, stuff moist sphagnum moss gently into the cracks. Cover the entire top of the bed with pine bark or dark-colored wood chips. This greatly benefits in conserving moisture, which is quickly lost in this type of planting.

As this bed is truly an artificial one, having no bottom contact with garden soils, the combination of growing plants and evaporation depletes the soil moisture very quickly. Treat the bed as a large potted or container plant. Do not neglect its daily watering and weekly fertilizing.

FEMALE MONARCH (Danaus plexippus) ON PENTAS (Pentas lanceolata)