A butterfly oasis in your yard

You love gardens and you love butterflies. Why not combine the two and create a beautiful oasis in your backyard that will attract butterflies far and wide. Creating a butterfly garden is not as complicated as you might think. Here’s how.

•First, choose a sunny area away from noise and other irritants. Butterflies are cold-blooded, so the area you select for your butterfly garden must reach a temperature of at least 60 degrees during the day. It should also offer a shady retreat for butterflies to cool off.

•Next, start populating the area you have chosen with plants that will attract caterpillars as well as adult butterflies. Depending upon the types of butterflies that live in your region and those you would like to see, you may choose any of the following:

Buckeye: Plantago and snapdragon for caterpillars - Aster, chicory, coreopsis and milkweed for adults

Giant Swallowtail: Citrus, hop tree and prickly ash for caterpillars - Azalea, goldenrod, Japanese honeysuckle, lilac and milkweed for adults

Monarch: Milkweed for caterpillars - Butterfly bush, goldenrod, ironweed, mint, milkweed, purple coneflower and thistle for adults

Mourning Cloak: Aspen, birch, elm, poplar and willow for caterpillars - Butterfly bush, milkweed, rotten fruit and sap, and Shasta daisy for adults

Painted Lady: Cosmos, daisy, hollyhock, mallow and thistle for caterpillars - Aster, butterfly bush, goldenrod, milkweed and zinnia for adults

Spring Azure Blue: Flowering dogwood tree and steeple bush for caterpillars - Viburnum and violet for adults

Tiger Swallowtail: Ash, birch, cherry, Easter cottonwood, lilac and tulip tree for caterpillars - Butterfly bush, ironweed, Japanese honeysuckle, lilac, milkweed, phlox and purple coneflower for adults

This is just a small sample of butterflies and the plants you could use to attract them. The results will be worth it when you see your garden swirling with beautiful butterflies.