One Redditor who set out to attract butterflies to their garden said they got more than they bargained for when their flowers unexpectedly took off.
"Butterfly gardens" are a popular landscaping choice that includes many of the flowers most loved by local pollinators. This is great for the owner, since it attracts beautiful butterflies to admire. It also benefits the butterflies that feed from the flowers. In turn, that benefits the flowers, which get pollinated. It also helps support the other nearby plants, since the butterflies will visit them, too.
In this case, though, the flowers may have benefited a little too much. "My butterfly garden exploded," said the Redditor, adding that it had "gotten out of hand … Oops."
In the photo they shared, a cosmos plant with bright orange flowers had grown tall enough to dwarf the nearby fence. Other flowers grew in a thick tangle throughout the bed.
However out of control the garden looked, though, it certainly did its job. The original poster shared four other pictures — two of butterflies visiting the flowers, and two of bees. Both are important pollinators.
"We did all native species," the original poster revealed in a comment.
"How beautiful!" said one commenter. "Great photos as well."
"I love this so much!" said another user. "I have planted my flower beds for pollinators too! The bees have been slow to come this year for me."
The comments also led to a discussion about recent movements to incorporate different types of plants into a productive garden. "I can't remember the name; there is a movement to make gardens look/behave like the wild … " said one user. "I can't remember where I saw the clip; it was talking about food gardens, making them three dimensional with trees, bushes, and plants."
"Rewilding, I think," suggested another user.
"The one I'm speaking of is for food gardens," said the previous commenter, who was likely thinking of a "food forest," also called a forest garden. In this type of multifaceted design, where different species of different sizes are planted together to support one another, pollinator-friendly flowers could help attract butterflies to the fruits and vegetables being grown.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
