Butterfly Gardens
To create a butterfly garden, you must provide a suitable habitat for an entire growing season. A butterfly garden should be insecticide free. It should include: host plants for the larvae; nectar plants for the adults; water; shelter from predators and weather; and an open area where butterflies can bask in the sun. It is important to provide the habitat on a consistent basis, so it is stable and predictable.
Butterflies lay their eggs on plants that will be a food source for growing larvae. Each species of butterfly requires specific plants for its larvae. For example, Monarch larvae feed on milkweed and black swallowtail larvae eat parsley or dill.
Adult butterflies feed on nectar from many different types of flowers. Because they sit on a flower while they sip nectar, adults prefer plants with closely butterfly gardenpacked clusters of flowers. Preferred plants include butterfly bush, lilac, yarrow, chokecherry and rabbitbrush, and daisy-type flowers such as sunflower and cosmos. Butterflies are more likely to visit flowers in a sunny location than a shady one, and to seek out fragrant flowers rather than those without a scent.
A favorite congregating spot for butterflies is an area that has moist sand or a mud puddle where they can get moisture and minerals.
Butterflies are cold blooded and fly only when temperatures rise above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They need a place to roost on cool, cloudy or rainy days. Shrubs, tall grasses or log piles provide suitable roosting sites. A cluster of flat rocks in a sheltered area of the garden will serve as a place where butterflies can warm up on sunny days.
Vary the height of plants to suit the feeding habits of various butterflies. Leave an open area where they can fly and also be protected from gusty winds.
With a little planning and care, you can attract butterflies and their caterpillars that will add interest to a garden.
White Clover Control in Lawns
White clover flowers are visible in summer and it often appears that clover is taking over some lawns. As a nitrogen-producing legume, clover is often found and is competitive in lawns that have not been adequately fertilized with nitrogen. Regular fertilization, especially fall nitrogen applications can help reduce this weed in lawns. Herbicides applied during the summer aren't as effective as fall applications.
To obtain maximum weed control and to prevent turf injury, ensure that the clover and grass are well-watered and not stressed. Avoid making herbicide applications when temperatures are above 85 degrees F, as control may be reduced and the herbicide is more likely to volatilize and harm landscape plants and vegetables.
Spot treatment is preferable to broadcast applications with any postemergent herbicide because of the decreased potential for harming non-target plants in the landscape. As always, a healthy lawn is the best preventive against weeds like clover.
Ants & Landscape Plants
Ants are common throughout Colorado, and large numbers occur in the average landscape. Most ants are beneficial in controlling pest insects, destroying weed seeds and improving soil with their nesting habits. However, ants can cause problems when they nest in the lawn, garden or children's playground area.
Ant nests are produced underground, and colonies can contain thousands of workers. Carpenter ants are large black ants that usually construct their nests in decaying wood. Ants forage constantly during the summer months, and will chew through plant roots if their nest area is located adjacent to plants. Ants are highly adaptable in their nesting habits. You can usually find their nests by watching the movement of the ants. Although some ants build conspicuous mounds, others don't, so watching the pathway of the workers will direct you to the nest.
Ants that damage plants in the garden are sometimes associated with aphids that are feeding on the roots. Ants feed on the sweet excretion of the aphids, which protects the aphids and creates feeding tunnels in and around plant roots. Ants found climbing trees are either interested in the aphids feeding on the foliage, or the sap flowing from the tree as a result of natural causes, disease or injury. Ants are also attracted to peonies because of the sap the flower buds secrete. It's a myth that ants are necessary to permit peonies to bloom.
Summit and Eagle County, Colorado