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The Beauty of a Butterfly Wedding

female monarch butterfly

Image via Wikipedia

By Ryan Dube

One of the most beautiful wedding themes you can use is the butterfly wedding. Even more impressive is the wedding where there’s a butterfly release.

A Butterfly Wedding Theme

The first consideration when you are thinking about having a butterfly wedding where you will be releasing hundreds or thousands of butterflies is to do a complete butterfly theme for the wedding. This is where people get into trouble.

Overdoing the theme where everything is “butterfly” oriented becomes tacky very quickly. This is why, even though a butterfly theme can form the foundation of a truly wonderful wedding, it’s very important to keep the theme very low key. Continue reading →

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What Do Butterflies Eat?

Nectar of camellia

Image via Wikipedia

By Piedro Molinero

When flirting with butterfly gardening, it is good to know a little bit more about these small and beautiful animals you want to attract to your backyard. To know which flowers and plants to grow for feeding butterflies, their eating habits are from particular interest for starting a butterfly garden.

As you probably already know, butterflies go through different life cycles. All butterflies life cycle starts as an egg, then it turns into a caterpillar, afterwards it becomes a pupa and in the end it comes out as a butterfly.

Most of its eating during all these butterfly stages, this creature does when it is a caterpillar. For some types of butterflies, this caterpillar stage is the only time in its whole life when it will ever eat. Continue reading →

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How to Water Your Butterflies Garden

Herb Garden Morning Light May 22

Image by BeautifulRust via Flickr

By: JC Schwartz

Butterflies need water just like we do. Keep a mud puddle damp in a sunny location, or fill a bucket with sand and enough water to make the sand moist. Periodically saturate the sand to keep it moist. You can also bury the bucket in the ground for aesthetic purposes and provide access to it by surrounding it with some small rocks.

Male butterflies appreciate a patch of wet sand or dirt. They sip salts and other minerals from the sand, a behavior known as “puddling”. The minerals are passed on in a sperm packet during mating, to enrich the eggs.

In you want to include the use of butterflies in your landscape you will need to create a safety zone for your butterflies to feel safe. Butterflies frequent habitual zones, where they feel safe and where areas of the landscape meet with the tree lines.Creating your butterfly gardens near or around trees will help in attracting even more of these graceful creatures to your gardens. You should also consider hedges; groups of small trees or shrubs; or walls, fences, trellises covered with vines. Continue reading →

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Propagating Butterfly Bush from Root Cuttings

Buddleja

Image via Wikipedia

Propagating Butterfly Bush from root cuttings.

The first step for how to root cuttings from the butterfly bush is to select a stem for cutting. In early Fall, choose a stem for butterfly bush propagation that is at least 6 inches long, and is new growth cut the flower off. A new growth stem will be a lighter green than old growth.

Also be aware that if you live in a colder climate where the butterfly bush dies back to the ground, the whole shrub may be new growth.

Once you have selected a stem to propagate the butterfly bush, take a sharp pair of shears and cut the stem off just below a leaf node. A leaf node is where a set of leaves will be growing.

The butterfly bush cutting should be at least 4 inches long and should contain at least one additional set of leaves above the selected leaf node. Snip the cutting from the stem.

Next, strip all but the top most set of leaves from the cutting. The cutting should have only two leaves left, dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone.

Rooting hormone will increase the chances of successfully propagating butterfly bush, place the cutting into damp potting soil. Place the pot in a sheltered location out of direct sunlight. Continue reading →

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Butterfly Gardening, Pt 2

More About Butterly Gardening
When creating a butterfly garden, the possibilities of what to include in your butterfly garden design are endless. Below are some suggestions to help get you started. They are designed to spark the creative process of your mind and get you started on your way to creating a lovely butterfly garden.
Before you even begin your butterfly garden, find out which species of butterflies are in your area. Consider taking an exploratory hike around your location with a butterfly identification book. This may take a little extra time and effort, but the results will be worth it. After you have compiled your list of local butterfly species, be sure to write down in your butterfly garden plan what these particular species of butterflies use for nectar and food plants.
Be sure that your garden is in a location that provides at least six hours of sunlight per day. Butterflies are cold-blooded creatures and therefore do better where they are warm and sheltered.
Wind can be a butterfly’s worst enemy so be sure to have plenty of wind protection in your design. You can plant tall shrubs and other plants in order to create a wind break, but a location that avoids heavy winds is even better.
The best of all would be a butterfly garden placed on the sunny side of your home with windbreaks on both the west and east sides, or wherever the prevailing wonds come from in your area. Try and locate your garden close to a window so you can view the butterflies from indoors. Provide seating outside too.
If possible, you could excavate an area and build a stone wall around it. This would create the ideal windbreak for your butterflies. Mmake gravel pathways around your garden to save walking in mud.
There are many creative ways for constructing a butterfly garden. Take your time to design a garden that you will enjoy and be proud of.

When creating a butterfly garden, the possibilities of what to include in your butterfly garden design are endless. Below are some suggestions to help get you started. They are designed to spark the creative process of your mind and get you started on your way to creating a lovely butterfly garden.

http://www.public-domain-image.com (public domain image)Before you even begin your butterfly garden, find out which species of butterflies are in your area. Consider taking an exploratory hike around your location with a butterfly identification book. This may take a little extra time and effort, but the results will be worth it.

After you have compiled your list of local butterfly species, be sure to write down in your butterfly garden plan what these particular species of butterflies use for nectar and food plants.

Be sure that your garden is in a location that provides at least six hours of sunlight per day. Butterflies are cold-blooded creatures and therefore do better where they are warm and sheltered.

Wind can be a butterfly’s worst enemy so be sure to have plenty of wind protection in your design. You can plant tall shrubs and other plants in order to create a wind break, but a location that avoids heavy winds is even better.

The best of all would be a butterfly garden placed on the sunny side of your home with windbreaks on both the west and east sides, or wherever the prevailing wonds come from in your area. Try and locate your garden close to a window so you can view the butterflies from indoors. Provide seating outside too.

If possible, you could excavate an area and build a stone wall around it. This would create the ideal windbreak for your butterflies. Mmake gravel pathways around your garden to save walking in mud.

There are many creative ways to construct a butterfly garden. Take your time to design a garden that you will enjoy and be proud of.

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Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly Gardening
What is butterfly gardening? Simply put butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract these colorful and dainty creatures to your garden. Delight your family and visitors with beautiful butterflies, but be sure to create a safe habitat for them. If you own cats rethink your plans, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.
The design your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow. Pick a style of garden that appeals to you, but ensure it also contains the plants and flowers that appeal to the butterflies you wish to attract.
It is important to find out which plants and flowers will attract the species of butterflies. that live in your area. This information can be found at the local library
To create the kind of environment that they find attractive, you will also need water of some kind. A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well.
When planting your butterfly garden be careful how you coordinate the colors you choose for your flowerbeds. Although butterflies do not care about your choice of color, you don’t want your garden to be a hodgepodge of unrelated colors and textures. Butterflies are attracted to those flowers that have nectar rather than pollen, like honeysuckle, milkweed, summer lilac, Valerian, daisies, Purple Coneflower, Yellow Sage, day lilies and lavender.
Some people find it helpful to draw and color a layout of their butterfly gardening plan to see what the finished product would look like. Keep in mind that warm colors like red and orange are flashy and showy. These colors have a greater impact against a strong green background. Cool colors such as blue and purple are soothing and toned down and would work better with a white contrast to create the look of freshness and brightness.

What is butterfly gardening? It is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract those colorful and dainty creatures to your garden.

http://www.public-domain-image.com (public domain image)Delight your family and visitors with beautiful butterflies, but be sure to create a safe habitat for them. If you have cats, rethink your plans, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.

The design for your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow. Pick a style of garden that appeals to you, but ensure it also contains the plants and flowers that appeal to the butterflies you wish to attract.

It is important to find out which plants and flowers will attract the species of butterflies that live in your area. This information can be found at the local library

To create the kind of environment that butterflies find attractive, you will also need water of some kind. A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well.

When planting your butterfly garden, be careful how you coordinate the colors you choose for your flowerbeds. Although butterflies do not care about your choice of color, you don’t want your garden to be a hodgepodge of unrelated colors and textures.

Butterflies are attracted to those flowers that have nectar rather than pollen, like honeysuckle, milkweed, summer lilac, Valerian, daisies, Purple Coneflower, Yellow Sage, day lilies and lavender.

Some people find it helpful to draw and color a layout of their butterfly gardening plan to see what the finished product would look like. Keep in mind that warm colors like red and orange are flashy and showy. These colors have a greater impact against a strong green background. Cool colors such as blue and purple are soothing and toned down and would work better with a white contrast to create the look of freshness and brightness.

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Butterfly Images

Butterfly Designs
Butterflies are one of the most colorful creatures on Earth, giving people of all ages plenty of viewing pleasure. You can find a variety of butterfly species around gardens and flowers, generally in areas of warm weather. Since people love butterflies so much, it is not uncommon to find such designs in many aspects. They are a symbol of freedom and beauty.
Tattoos have become more popular on women over the past decade than ever before. One of the most popular designs is that of a butterfly. Women like it because it is a very tasteful tattoo that looks good in any location. The larger the tattoo size, the more detailed the butterfly can be. An expert tattoo artist can make a butterfly design with multiple colors that are vivid and blend well together. A tattoo artist can help you design the perfect butterfly to suit your tastes.
Butterflies make a great choice for home dÈcor as well. You can find everything in a butterfly pattern to decorate your bathroom including a shower curtain, pictures to hang on the wall, rugs for the floor, toothbrush holders, soap dishes, and more. You will be able to select from a variety of colors as well as butterfly species.
Butterfly designs are also a great way to decorate a nursery or a room for a young girl. You can get butterfly decals that can be applied to the wall or use stencils to color your own. Many places carry butterfly design wall border as well. Outside, butterfly status and wind chimes add flare and style to any type of dÈcor.
Since butterflies come with a warm feeling as well as offer some gorgeous color, it is no wonder people use them for a variety of decorating ideas both inside and outside of their home. Butterfly designs also are very popular for art and for tattoos because they symbolize freedom.
If you are interested in various butterfly designs that are available, the internet is a great place to start. You can get wonderful decorating ideas as well as search for a particular one you are interested in. Home improvement stores and craft retailers are also great places to look for butterfly designs.

Butterflies are among the most colorful creatures on Earth, giving people of all ages plenty of viewing pleasure. You can find a variety of butterfly species around gardens and flowers, generally in areas of warm weather.

http://www.public-domain-image.com (public domain image)Since people love butterflies so much, it is not uncommon to find images of butterflies in many applications. They are a symbol of freedom and beauty.

Tattoos have become more popular on women over the past decade than ever before. One of the most popular designs is that of a butterfly. Women like it because it is a very tasteful tattoo that looks good in any location. The larger the tattoo size, the more detailed the butterfly can be. An expert tattoo artist can make a butterfly design with multiple colors that are vivid and blend well together. A tattoo artist can help you design the perfect butterfly to suit your tastes.

Butterflies make a great choice for home decor as well. You can find everything in a butterfly pattern to decorate your bathroom including a shower curtain, pictures to hang on the wall, rugs for the floor, toothbrush holders, soap dishes, and more. You will be able to select from a variety of colors as well as butterfly species.

Butterfly designs are also a great way to decorate a nursery or a room for a young girl. You can get butterfly decals that can be applied to the wall or use stencils to color your own. Many places carry butterfly design wall border as well. Outside, butterfly status and wind chimes add flare and style to any type of dÈcor.

Since butterflies come with a warm feeling as well as offering some gorgeous color, it is no wonder people use them for a variety of decorating ideas both inside and outside of their home. Butterfly designs also are very popular for art and for tattoos because they symbolize freedom.

If you are looking for butterfly designs, the internet is a great place to start. You can get wonderful decorating ideas and search for a particular butterfly species you are interested in.

Home improvement stores and craft retailers are also great places to look for butterfly designs.

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Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Image via Wikipedia

Tiger Butterfly
The tiger butterfly, named for its yellow color with black stripes, is mainly found in the forests of Central America. Other locations for the tiger butterfly include the Eastern United States and Canada. This particular species of butterfly loves the warm, moist air as well as plenty of food. They need to bask in the sun in order to be able to fly as their wings will only work if their body temperature is above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. They are among the fastest species of butterflies, with a speed of up to 30 miles per hour.
Their favorite food is the nectar from the abelia shrub. It is also a very strong butterfly with wings that flutter almost effortlessly through the air. They are commonly referred to as swallow tails because they feature long, pointed tails on their hind wings.
The Tiger butterfly has very bright colors, but it doesnít have to worry too much about predators. This is because eating this particular butterfly will leave them very ill. While it wonít kill them, they definitely remember the affects and avoid eating it again. Their main threat is actually humans because the Tiger butterfly is often sought by collectors.
The Tiger butterfly is very popular throughout the United States. In fact, it is the state insect of Oregon, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and Delaware. The wings of a Tiger butterfly are much stronger than many other species. Some scientists believe this is because of the fennel that they eat. It also helps them to survive in harsh winds and even through difficult winter months.
At one time the Tiger butterfly was dwindling in numbers. This is because in the caterpillar stage it was not able to blend well, resulting in being eaten by predators. To protect its existence, they were populated in butterfly gardens in various locations. The best protection was offered to help them thrive.
Today there number of Tiger butterflies is back on a good note, but they continue to be a favorite in butterfly gardens because of their unique yellow and black stripes. You can tell the age of a tiger butterfly by their coloring. Older ones feature faded colors instead of a bright, vivid yellow. They also have wings that appear to be ragged.

The tiger butterfly, named for its yellow color with black stripes, is mainly found in the forests of Central America. Other locations for the tiger butterfly include the Eastern United States and Canada. This particular species of butterfly loves the warm, moist air as well as plenty of food.

Tiger butterflies need to bask in the sun in order to be able to fly as their wings will only work if their body temperature is above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. They are among the fastest species of butterflies, with a speed of up to 30 miles per hour.

Their favorite food is the nectar from the abelia shrub. Tigers are also a very strong butterfly with wings that flutter almost effortlessly through the air. They are commonly referred to as swallow tails because they feature long, pointed tails on their hind wings.

The Tiger butterfly has very bright colors, but it does not have to worry too much about predators. This is because eating this particular butterfly will leave them very ill. Continue reading →

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Monarch Butterflies

Monarch Butterfly
The Monarch butterfly is the best known and most popular butterfly. This is because it is the most commonly found and it also offers the most gorgeous colors you will ever find on a species of butterfly. This particular butterfly is commonly called the milkweed butterfly because they are commonly found eating this variety of plant. This is also the location where most Monarch butterfly eggs are laid. In fact, many people choose to plant them in their garden just to attract beautiful Monarch butterflies. The majority of Monarch butterflies are found in North America.
Many people do not realize that Monarch butterflies migrate, following the same pattern year after year. They move to warm climates including Florida, Texas, and Mexico during the winter months. You will see them doing so in very large groups. You will have to look close though as you can easily mistake them for a bunch of autumn leaves! This is because the Monarch butterfly adapts to the environment and blends in for protection.
Generally the Monarch butterfly doesnít have to worry too much about predators because they are known for being a very toxic meal. This has to do with the milkweed they so frequently eat. This food may also be the reason why so many Monarch butterflies develop parasites that cause them to lose weight, have weak wings, and die sooner than the average life span. Their numbers have drastically dropped in recent years due to deforestation in many regions.
Monarch butterflies are known for their bright colors and are the most popular species of butterfly. You will commonly find them in warmer climates and it areas where there is plenty of milkweed. If you enjoy these beautiful creatures, then you can create a butterfly garden very easily. This is because they will return to the same location year after year. Since they commonly eat and lay their eggs on the milkweed plant, this is the most successful way of attracting them.
This particular butterfly is the state symbol for Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Texas, Minnesota, and West Virginia. Since 1989 it has been the National insect of the United States. It also holds that title in Canada.

The Monarch butterfly is the best known and most popular butterfly in the United States. That is because it is the most commonly found. It also offers the most gorgeous colors you will ever find on a species of butterfly.

monarch_butterfly_blueflowerThe Monarch is commonly called the milkweed butterfly, because they are commonly found eating this variety of plant. This is also the location where most Monarch butterfly eggs are laid.

Some people choose to plant milkweed in their garden to attract beautiful Monarch butterflies. The majority of Monarch butterflies are found in North America.

Many people do not realize that Monarch butterflies migrate, following the same pattern year after year. They move to warm climates including Florida, Texas, and Mexico during the winter months.

Monarch butterflies migrate in very large groups. You will have to look close, though, as you can easily mistake them for a bunch of autumn leaves! This is because the Monarch butterfly adapts to the environment and blends in for protection. Continue reading →

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Butterfly Wings and Things

Butterfly Wings
Most of us has watched in wonder as beautiful butterflies flutter their wings to move about. Have you ever wondered how those wings work? If you look very closely at butterfly wings, you would soon realize that they are very different from each other.
The wings of butterflies are covered with a mosaic of various color patterns
While there are many different varieties of butterflies, each with unique wing designs, they all have similarities. Each butterfly has four wings ñ two forewings and two hind wings. A butterfly has very strong muscles in the thorax that allow the wings to move up and down. This is also the power source for a butterfly to fly in a figure eight style.
The wings of a butterfly develop while it is in transition from the pupa stage. The butterfly is not immediately able to fly away. This is because the wings are wet and wrinkled. Before it can fly, the butterfly has to hang upside down so that blood will pump into the wings. They also have to dry before they can be used for flight. Each wing is very delicate and the butterfly has to use them with care as any damage that takes place to them canít be repaired.
These wings are actually membranes that get their nourishment from tubular veins that also provide them with oxygen. You will have to look very closely to see that each wing has thousands of colorful scales with tiny hairs on them. The amazing colors that we see on a variety of butterfly wings is the result of ultraviolet patterns that we canít see. This helps the butterfly to blend into to various surroundings for protection. These colors also help attract other butterflies for mating.
The wings on a butterfly are their life force. Without them, they are unable to move and unable to survive. While the wings are very small and very thin, donít let this fool you into thinking they are weak. Butterfly wings are very beautiful but they are also very powerful. They protect the butterfly as well as give it the attractive feature that draws so many of us to their beauty as they flutter freely around the area.

Most of us have watched in wonder as beautiful butterflies flutter their wings to move about. The wings of butterflies are covered with a mosaic of various color patterns, gleaming like jewels and velvet in the sunlight.

colorful-butterflyHave you ever wondered how those wings work? If you look very closely at butterfly wings, you soon realize that they are very different from each other. Butterfly wings vary widely in size, shape, color and markings.

While there are many different varieties of butterflies, each with unique wing designs, they all have similarities. Each butterfly has four wings: two forewings and two hind wings.

A butterfly has very strong muscles in the thorax that allow the wings to move up and down. This is also the power source for a butterfly to fly in a figure eight style.

The wings of a butterfly develop while it is in transition from the pupa stage. When it emerges from its chrysalis, a butterfly is not immediately able to fly away. That is because the wings are wet and wrinkled.

Before it can fly, the new butterfly has to hang upside down so that blood will pump into the wings. The wings also have to dry before they can be used for flight.

Each wing is very delicate. The butterfly has to use them with care as any damage that takes place to them canít be repaired.

Butterfly wings are actually membranes that get their nourishment from tubular veins that also provide them with oxygen. You must look very closely to see that each wing has thousands of colorful scales with tiny hairs on them.

The amazing colors that we see on a variety of butterfly wings are the result of ultraviolet patterns that we cannot see. The patterns on their wings help the butterfly to blend into to various surroundings for protection. These colors also help attract other butterflies for mating.

The wings on a butterfly are their life force. Without wings, butterflies are unable to move and unable to survive. While the wings appear very small and very thin, do not let that fool you into thinking they are weak.

Butterfly wings are very beautiful but they are also very powerful. They protect the butterfly as well as give it the attractive feature that draws so many of us to their beauty as they flutter freely around the area.

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