Birds, bees and butterflies make a garden a joyful place. Invite them in.
Although hot weather has driven most hummingbirds to higher terrain, they'll be back when it cools down again. They'll visit your garden if you plant the right flowers. They prefer tubular flowers that fit their beaks in red, orange, purple and pink. Salvias are ideal, such as orange 'Skyscraper', 'Rockin' Purple' and 'Rockin' Pink.' Another hummingbird magnet is the firecracker flower, Cuphea. The orange flowers of 'Vermillionaire' always draw them.
Bees don't pay much attention to popular annuals such as geraniums and petunias. There's simply not enough pollen in them for the bees to bother. They prefer pollen-rich flowers such as sunflowers and zinnias. Herbs such as basil, oregano and thyme are also popular with bees in midsummer.
Butterflies prefer a relatively flat flower that they can land on like a helicopter pad. Verbenas and pincushion flowers fit that bill. Tall verbena is a long bloomer with airy stems of lavender flowers. I grow it all over the place. Butterflies and bees love it.
If you've ever seen a butterfly in a mudpuddle flapping its wings, he's getting a drink. Get your butterflies out of the mud by creating a puddle in a bowl. Fill a large bowl halfway with fine pea gravel.
Fill it up with water to the level of the gravel. Set it in an open space. Clean it every few days to avoid mosquito larvae. Butterflies and bees will drown in birdbaths, so this creates a safe place for them to drink.
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