Gardening Guides by Publish Date:
Practical Guides & Getting Started
Practical guidance for building and maintaining gardens.
Practical guidance for building and maintaining butterfly gardens, including planting, timing, seed starting, and early decisions that shape long-term outcomes.
Practical guidance for building and maintaining butterfly gardens, including planting, timing, seed starting, and early decisions that shape long-term outcomes.
Host plants, nectar, and simple habitat structure.
Butterflies, Habitat, & Life Cycles
Butterfly life cycles, host & nectar plants, habitat structure, and how butterflies use gardens throughout the seasons.
Gardening in Texas Heat (Zone 8)
Planting guidance & seasonal strategies for gardening in Texas heat, including region-appropriate plant choices.
N
Get a free printable checklist covering the basic elements of a butterfly garden:
Free
Monarch Migration Tracker
Click the map below to track the current Monarch Butterfly Migration on the official USFWS website.
Find My Planting Zone
Click the map below to find your Plant Hardiness Zone on the official USDA website.
-
12 Best Spring Plants for Texas Butterfly Gardens (Zone 8)
This guide to creating a butterfly-friendly garden in Texas focuses on attracting various butterfly species, including monarchs and swallowtails, by planting suitable flora during spring. It recommends 12 ideal plants tailored for Texas’ Zone 8, emphasizing the importance of native, heat-tolerant perennials and annuals that thrive in full to partial sun. Key tips include providing…
-
Texas Spring Garden Checklist: What to Do Before March (Zone 8)
As spring approaches in Texas, timely preparation is crucial for successful gardening in Zone 8. This comprehensive checklist highlights essential gardening tasks to complete before March, including cleaning up beds, pruning, soil preparation, and planting early bloomers. It emphasizes the importance of establishing strong roots and maximizing early blooms to support a vibrant and low-maintenance…
-
Spring Plants for Full Sun in Texas (Heat-Proof Picks)
This Texas Zone 8 guide emphasizes selecting suitable flowers, shrubs, and butterfly plants that flourish in full sun. Due to the extreme heat and intense sun exposure in Texas, many commonly promoted plants fail. The guide highlights native, drought-tolerant options like Blackfoot daisy, Indian blanket, and various salvias, which thrive in high temperatures and attract…
Butterfly garden paradise 