Making Gardens for Insects & Other Animals

This guide begins by explaining the adaptations that have made butterflies so aesthetically pleasing to we humans. It continues with the basics of their life cycles and the plants that accommodate the needs of different species at various life stages. Larson offers her expertise in keeping the art of the garden as a top priority. 

Albright provides additional information about readily available plants that form the foundation of the food web, supporting insects which in turn feed songbirds and other wild creatures in northeast Kansas. The handbook includes tips on managing a pesticide-free landscape by attracting beneficial insects and expanding a wildlife-friendly garden to welcome songbirds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. 

Resources include:

• plant lists for pollinators, butterfly host plants, and predatory insects

• top beneficial plants you can find at the nursery

• color photos

• design ideas for various wildlife garden styles and sizes

• converting an existing landscape

• gardening to support beneficial insects and other wildlife

• keystone plants

• simple design ideas for garden beds and containers

• online resources

• registering your garden with conservation organizations