HOW TO CREATE A LOVELY BUTTERFLY AND HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN

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When I was a young girl, I would travel to the mountains to stay with my Gigi in the summer. It was a quiet place.  There were blue jays, squirrels, and creatures of all kinds. You could hear the occasional rooster in the distance and sound of people talking down the hill. She had a lovely butterfly-hummingbird garden, and I would curiously watch all the creatures partake.

When I would visit my grandma, I would spend hours out in the garden. She would teach me to shuck peas, pull carrots and can plums.  Gigi had a 14-foot in-ground garden overflowing with so many vegetables and fruits.

When you were a kid, wasn’t it fun to get dirty? That was something we didn’t do enough in my suburban life.  I refused even to wear gloves when I was in Gigi’s garden.

My grandma has been gone quite a few years now, and I still think of her when I look at my garden.  Anytime I am out with my dirt and my plants her memory is right there with me.

I don’t have the green thumb of my grandma, but I have learned all I need to do is to fertilize a lot.  You can do this!

I can’t wait to share my secrets on how to create this garden. I had my first butterfly customer within seconds of setting this garden on my porch.

Seconds!

FIRST: Plan your garden

You will need pots and plants to attract your creatures. These are the supplies to plan for:

• • Butterfly and hummingbird flowers*
  • Several pots in various sizes for planting
  • A few cups of small rocks
  • Potting Soil
  • Fertilizer
  • Water
  • SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™

*At the bottom of this tutorial is a long list of beautiful plants which are beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies

You will need to purchase or transplant flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.  I took my list with me to the garden center. You don’t need every plant to be a butterfly or hummingbird attractor. Just a few in each pot does the trick.

It is most important that you find some that require the right amount of sun depending on your location. Mine will be full sun, so I bought Petunias, Verbenas, butterfly bush and a few red accents.

Hummingbirds LOVE red.

SECOND: Plant and get dirty

Add a few scoops of rocks to the bottom of your pots to help drainage.  Fill each container with potting soil. Now you can mix and match the plants as you wish. I like to create some contrast.

Look at the other creature that came the first day we planted. How adorable.

THIRD: Finish your presentation

Now that your colorful, lovely plants are ready, you still have some important final steps:

• Cluster your planted pots together outside a window or bench where you will relax and see your creatures
• Add a hummingbird feeder or birdhouse to complete your garden
• Fertilize and water your plants
• Sweep up your remaining dirt, and recycle your plant containers

When my work is done, my final step is to clean up. After gardening my hands feel crispy and dry, so I love to use SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™  from Target.  First let me say, I love Target. Love. Love!

I found these easily in the middle aisle of the soap section. This is exactly where you can find them.

I guess I was not the only one during this project to get a little dirty.  This soap left my little one’s dirty hands feeling clean and soft. You know how much toddlers love a luxurious hand wash.

Today I used the Shea & Cocoa Butter. It made my hands feel refreshed, even if I need to wash several times a day. This soap locks in moisture for soft feeling hands. It also has such an indulgent scent.

My hands felt silky smooth and fresh like a summer’s day.

If you are going to add a hummingbird bird feeder, you will want to replace the sugar water every few days. That’s a lot of washing.

These are the SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™  combinations:

• Aloe Water & Lime
• Orchid & Coconut Milk
• Shea and Cocoa Butter

Our Lovely Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden

Look at our final result overflowing with Verbena, Petunias and Butterfly Bush.  I love the mixture of textures and softness in each pot. I filled up the hummingbird feeder and sat close by.  Since planting these I have seen three hummingbirds. What a joy in spring.

THE COMPLETE LIST OF HUMMINGBIRD AND BUTTERFLY GARDEN PLANTS.

Pin it and bring this to your garden center:

• Black and Blue Salvia
• Petunia
• Bee Balm
• Cardinal Flower
• Lantana
• Hibiscus
• Butterfly Bush
• Crossvine
• Trumpet Vine
• Columbine
• Phlox
• Verbena
• Red flowers

Next time you are at Target, pick up the SoftSoap® Hand Wash Plus Lotion™  in one of the three varieties.  You will love how your hands feel clean and soft after every project.