Better Homes And Gardens Butterfly Bird Bath

Welcome Wildlife with This No-Fuss Bird and Butterfly Garden Plan

Plant this collection of colorful, easy-care perennials and your yard is sure to be filled with beautiful winged visitors.

If you're looking to plant a low-maintenance garden that will bring lots of pollinators buzzing around your landscape, you'll want to install this design. Tried-and-true favorites, such as catmint, butterfly weed, bee balm, and aster, will produce a ton of color all summer into fall, while providing the nectar, pollen, and seeds that will draw wildlife such as butterflies, bees, and birds. All of these plants thrive in full sun, and keep on blooming through heat, humidity, and drought. Feel free to add a small birdhouse or a water source like a birdbath to really roll out the welcome mat for winged visitors and other creatures.

No-Fuss Bird and Butterfly Garden Plan Illustration

Credit: Illustration by Gary Palmer

Plants for Creating the No-Fuss Bird and Butterfly Garden Plan

2 Sedum (Sedum 'Vera Jameson'): Zones 4-9
4 Catmint (Nepeta 'Walker's Low'): Zones 4-9
2 Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies'): Zones 4-9
2 Bee balm (Monarda 'Grand Marshall'): Zones 3-9
1 Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'): Zones 3-11
2 Meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis): Zones 3-8
2 Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum 'Blue Fortune'): Zones 4-10
2 New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'): Zones 4-8
2 Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Giant'): Zones 3-9
2 Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'): Zones 3-7
2 Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii Peacock): Zones 5-9

If you aren't able to find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute with others that have similar colors, shapes, and sizes. And because some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control in certain climates, always check which species are considered invasive in your area before planting. For example butterfly bush can become problematic in some parts of the country, so you may instead want to plant similarly sized bluebeard that also has purplish flowers that draw pollinators.

Get the Free No-Fuss Bird and Butterfly Garden Plan

Our free Garden Plan for this design includes an illustrated version of the planted garden, a detailed layout diagram, a list of plants for the garden as shown, and complete instructions for installing the garden. Free, one-time registration allows unlimited access to all garden plans, available as printable PDFs.

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More Colorful Garden Plans to Try

Low Water Garden Plan
Bird and Butterfly Garden Plan
Butterfly Garden Plan
Beginner Garden for Full Sun