A butterfly garden is easy to plant and the results are beautiful on a number of levels. From asters to nettles, from fennel to prickly ash, a butterfly garden is easier to cultivate than you might think.
On this Talk of Iowa, Charity Nebbe chats with Donald Lewis, Entomologist from Iowa State University. They go beyond milkweed and monarchs to explore garden options for colorful pollinators.
"Many perennial flower beds would already qualify as a butterfly garden," Lewis says. "What you really need to do to make sure you reach the pinnacle of the butterfly garden is to ensure you put in plants that caterpillars will eat."
Richard Jauron, Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Specialist, joins the conversation and answers listener questions. For more information about building a butterfly garden, you can download a free guide from Iowa State University Extension.
