Flower plant favors for a butterfly garden

With gardening becoming more popular, party planners are using theme plants as favors.
One very popular theme is butterflies and butterfly gardens. With all the choices it sometimes can become confusing so we have compiled a brief butterfly plant guide to help.

Perennial plants are those which come back year after year and in some cases multiply and they make nice gifts and favors. Perennial plants can be grown at home and are usually started in small pots and re-potted as the roots require more space as the plants grow.

For perennial plants to grow well and come back they need to be planted in a “zone” or temperature range that will not kill them during the winter or hot summer. To find your zone use the US National Arboretum USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberose) is good choice if you want to grow the plants from seed. This plant is available in red, orange and yellow and will grow nicely in zones 4a to 10b .
Another popular butterfly garden plant is bee balm or Monarda. This hearty perennial will attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds and comes in a wide range of colors including red, blue, and lavender. Like the butterfly weed, this plant can be started form seeds or dug from an established bed.

Other popular butterfly garden plants include Corn Flower, Rocket Larkspur, Sweet William, Cosmos, and others. Check the North Carolina State University for a list of butterfly and nectar flowers.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/butterflies/text/butfly_nectar-flowers.html

You will need to get started well in advance of the occasion if you expect the plants to be in bloom.
Supplies needed will include sterile plant medium pots and of course the seeds. The best way to buy a large amount of plant medium is in a large bale. One 3.8 cu ft bale will fill 100 1 gallon pots if you are repotting from a 4 inch pot.

The best way to start the seeds is to read the instructions and follow the directions. Usually the seeds can be started in small “6 pack” containers and moved to the larger 3 or 4 inch pots when the true leaves being to grow. If and when potting up to the gallons use the entire contents of the smaller pot, leaving the roots intact. If the plants are root bound the root ball should be pulled apart so the roots will fill the new, larger pot.

Our butterfly ornaments make great companion favors when paired with a seed favors or a growing plant.