You'll be helping to preserve the biodiversity of your region. You'll also look like a terrific gardener, because native plants are adapted to the climate and soil. Well-behaved dwarf varieties have been developed for small gardens. Watch your visitors the first summer and you'll learn what works best in your area. While adult butterflies will sip nectar from many flowers, egg-laying females may be looking for one specific plant to feed their offspring.
Butterflies frequent the boundaries of habitat zones, like the spot where a meadow meets the trees.
The males, patrolling for a mate, can dart into the shrubbery for safety. Wood or brush piles also give shelter in bad weather or during winter months. I've watched small dramas and seen breathtaking beauty. I've been beckoned by my child's excited voice when a new winged visitor arrives for the season. Claire Hagen Dole is publisher and editor of Butterfly Gardeners' Quarterly , P.O. Box 30931, Seattle, WA 98103.