A MINI BUTTERFLY GARDEN
FOR TEXAS HEAT
THE CONTAINER
A recycled half-barrel is made of oak, charred inside and worn outside. By cutting the barrel in the middle, its structural integrity is lost. The half barrel may fall apart in transit, after some years of use, or by any of the planks coming loose, or by the metal belts/rings sliding out of place. Once wet and filled with dirt, it will be OK. If you want to be sure, glue the edge of the bottom to the planks and add some screws to hold the metal rings in place.
The half-barrel will be watertight (It used to hold wine). Drill some holes for proper drainage. I drilled five, half inch holes on the bottom. To extend the life of the container, raise it from the ground with supporting planks that can be hidden in the mulch. To prevent the soil from seeping out, place geotextile or mosquito mesh. For filtration, the bottom of the barrel is filled with
pebbles or pea gravel. One bag is enough for about 2 inches depth.
WARNING!!!!
Premium potting mix, such as Miracle Gro is expensive, but it is worth it. Stays moist, loose, and promotes growth of flowering plants for at least three months for an early start. It has been sterilized and fertilized. The half-barrel container will hold 4 cubic feet of soil on top of the gravel. That is roughly four medium bags of soil, as shown. To promote deep growth of the roots of the larger plants, I mixed one bag of peat moss mix with one bag of natural manure and humus. This mix filled the bottom layer of soil. Then I added the first bag of Miracle Gro to serve as the base of the potted plants. As I planted them, from front to back, I filled the surrounding spaces and leveled with the dirt from the second bag.
Total Cost of plants $ 61.47 at Houston Garden Center
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| A butterfly friendly mini-garden in Texas receiving 8 hrs. a day of sunlight during the summer heat |
Building a butterfly friendly garden can be as simple as choosing flowering plants that will invite adult butterflies to your garden to feed. But if you want to create a butterfly garden that will act as a sanctuary, attracting a wide variety of butterflies while also providing a place where butterflies can grow and multiply, you will first need some planning and space. You will also have a diversity of pollinators and caterpillars.
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| This neglected corner of an established garden receives 8 hrs. of sunlight per day. An opportunity waiting! |
If you have limited space, such as shown in the photograph, you can create a minigarden in a large container, such as a recycled half-barrel of oak for whisky or wine. Butterflies need flowering plants. Flowers need lots of sun, good soil and water. In Texas the problem may be too much heat with too much sun, and occasional spells of drought. Choosing a variety of hardy flowering plants friendly to butterflies requires some planning.
THE CONTAINER
A recycled half-barrel is made of oak, charred inside and worn outside. By cutting the barrel in the middle, its structural integrity is lost. The half barrel may fall apart in transit, after some years of use, or by any of the planks coming loose, or by the metal belts/rings sliding out of place. Once wet and filled with dirt, it will be OK. If you want to be sure, glue the edge of the bottom to the planks and add some screws to hold the metal rings in place.
The half-barrel will be watertight (It used to hold wine). Drill some holes for proper drainage. I drilled five, half inch holes on the bottom. To extend the life of the container, raise it from the ground with supporting planks that can be hidden in the mulch. To prevent the soil from seeping out, place geotextile or mosquito mesh. For filtration, the bottom of the barrel is filled with
pebbles or pea gravel. One bag is enough for about 2 inches depth.
WARNING!!!!
The half-barrel will weigh empty about 30 lbs. Completely finished and wet, the mini-garden will reach over 150 lbs. PLACE THE EMPTY CONTAINER IN ITS FINAL PLACE BEFORE BUILDING THE GARDEN.
I bought the barrel at Tractor Supply for $ 40, the bag of pebbles at Home Depot for $ 4.50, the two foundation planks for $ 1.00, and the 2' x 2' geotextile for $ 1.00.
Total container cost: $ 46.50.
SOIL
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| Sago palm removed with roots and all. Getting ready, set....gooo! Began at 9:00, finished at 11:00 |
COST OF SOIL: Organic humus and manure $ 1.65, peat moss topsoil $ 2.47, 2 bags of Miracle Gro Potting Mix $ 19.94. TOTAL $ 24.06 at Home Depot
PLANTS
Thrillers:
2 Milkweed (8") Asclepias *
2 Mystic Spites Blue Salvia (6") *
1 Salvia Blue By You (8") *
Fillers:
2 Coleus: purple, and red/yellow mix (6")
1 Persian Shield Strobilanthes (6")
1 Indian Blanket Gallardia Grandiflora (8") *
Spillers:
2 Homestead Purple Vervain,
Canadian Verbena (6") *
2 New Gold Lantana (4") *
* BUTTERFLIES LOVE THEM
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| Finished butterfly mini-garden in the shadow cast by the wall, at 11 am. Milkweed and salvias in the back Coleus in the center, Indian Blanket, lantanas and verbenas spilling on the front |
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| Butterfly mini-garden in a half-barrel of wine at 11:20 am, under full sun |
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| THE FULL COLORS OF SUMMER WAITING FOR MONARCHS |
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| Within 24 hours, the first Monarch arrives! |
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