Butterflies are one of the few insects we like to see and often try to attract to our yards. Sharp suggests providing shallow, water filled pans or saucers with stones, gravel, or sand in the bottom, since butterflies often drink from puddles. She adds that aquarium gravel is a good choice that is available in pet shops and other stores. Keep the water clean by changing it daily. The same article also tells that butterflies like nectar producing plants.
Butterflies sip the nectar from flowers using an extension that resembles a straw.
The butterfly can roll this extension down to feed. Besides being beautiful, butterflies help pollinate flowers by transferring the pollen that has clung to their legs. Below is a list of plants recommended by Sharp to attract butterflies. Large containers, whiskey barrels, or large pots can be used to create a butterfly garden, says Sharp. Sharp suggests growing red salvia, flowering tobacco, and sweet alyssum together in a garden container.