While we at Headleveler value the physiology behind a specially designed cervical pillow, we also value being level-headed during the summer months. This means that we encourage our clients and readers to embrace the positivity of summer. The excitement of the season brings vacations to tranquil locations, seaside resorts, amusements parks, clean beaches, and other locales. Yet, when the plane tickets are squarely fastened in a scrapbook of the occasion, there is a time of quiet repose. As individuals’ our hearts songs often call us to explore or voyage, but how do we experience joy at the home? What if we don’t live near a white, sandy shore? What if the children are too young, and the trip doesn’t fit financially?  Creating a backyard that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds can be just the thing to attract nature’s beauty.

You have options, as we have detailed here, but let’s discuss another one. Now, society seems to say that the only crescendo of enlightenment through the outdoors, often involving a hefty price tag, or gymnastics with luggage. Consider, what if you invested the amount you would spend on a vacation in beautifying your lawn? What if the greatest summertime entertainment was the simplest?

This is only too true.

In the sunny days, conditions are ripe to sit on a patio, have a cup of coffee, and a little respite. It simply involves a little trickery of sorts. There are two creatures that can transform an ordinary backyard into a magical place where you anticipate each moment. Butterflies and hummingbirds have a bit of childhood lore to them, don’t they? In our minds, these glimmer with that tinge of fairy dust as they hover around a grounds. Surely, you would enjoy having some animation around your flowerbeds.

What type of flowers or plants attract hummingbirds and butterflies?

hummingbird garden

Hummingbirds 

  • A hummingbird — a slight organism with wings that beat insanely fast — flocks to the color red. A trumpeting vine is the ideal plant for a hummingbird, practically made for one. The trumpeting vine is a large climbing plant producing crimson flowers. The flowers are conical. This means that the hummingbird is able to suck up nourishing nectar with ease. The hummingbird, after all, has a very long beak that fits perfectly into the vine.
  • Not a trumpeting vine fan? According to Daily Journal Lifestyle’s post (here), they also enjoy “lilies, penstemon, summer phlox, cardinal-flower, Lily of the Nile, bee balm, hollyhocks, coral bells and daylilies.” Many of these flowers are enticing to hummingbirds, as are several annuals. Hummingbirds gravitate to red, so flowers in shades of yellow, pink, and orange also draw them into a garden.

Blue butterfly

Butterflies 

  • Butterflies are a delicate bunch, with many collectors striving to capture them and as many trying to preserve their natural migration patterns. One Green Planet suggests growing native plants and ditching fertilizers that prove fatal to the creatures. They also provide a list of what type of flower attracts each species of butterflies here.
  • As with the hummingbirds, they enjoy bright colors, but are not particularly predisposed to one or the other. Common plants like snapdragons, roses, marigolds, and other plants that are easy to pollinate will attract butterflies. Butterflies do not have the long beaks of a hummingbird.
  • Lastly, with butterflies, it is important to plant native species to your area. For instance, monarch butterflies rely upon the unique pattern of flowers from the northern part of the United States to Mexico during their migration. A non-native plant confuses this yearly trek. On that note, butterflies also need places to rest while feeding. They love decorative rocks, smooth pathways, and trellises.

In summary, the warmest season is often a time to cast aside our cares. Sometimes, people forget that these teeny organisms make the home and garden a joyful place.