Make A Butterfly Island Bed

Gardens come alive when butterflies visit. They’re fun to watch, and they’re fascinating for kids, who can learn how butterflies transform from eggs to caterpillars, and from pupas to adults. A raised butterfly island bed will attract these winged guests to your property. Keep a camera and garden journal handy to observe them, or just sit back and enjoy the colorful show.

Step 1: Pick a spot that gets lots of sunlight to help promote plant growth and attract butterflies. Try using a garden hose or some rope to lay out the size and design of your island. You can also choose to outline your design with powdered chalk.
Step 2: With a sharp shovel, remove the top layer of turf in small, manageable sections. Relocate the cut turf to another part of your yard or flip it upside down for added compost material. Break up the soil beneath and remove any large rocks.
Step 3: Using a flat blade shovel or hoe, level and smooth the area where the wall stone will go. Apply an approximately 1-inch layer of leveling sand or paver base, and lay the first run of wall stone. Stack the wall stone to the desired height and fill with garden soil.
Step 4: Plants will naturally push up the soil up as they grow, so you may want to add more soil to give additional height to your island. Adding a retaining wall around the edges will define the space. A layer of premixed garden soil will help your garden grow.

MATERIALS

10-12 bags of premixed garden soil
3-6 bags of brown mulch or bark
Paver Base or leveling sand
Plants