Creating A Bird & Butterfly Friendly Garden
Plant flowers, shrubs, and trees that supply a food source andshelter. Butterflies and hummingbirds love rich sources of nectar including lantana, verbena, yarrow, pineapplesage, and butterfly bush. Songbirds love the seeds and berries fromplants such as Viburnum,Serviceberry, and
Hollies for berries& Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susans, and
Zinnias for seeds.
For a truly butterfly friendly yard, it is important to plant things that will be a food source for the butterfly caterpillars. For Swallowtails, this includes parsley, dill, and fennel. For Monarchs, you must plant things in the milkweed family. A great search-friendly web site with photos of butterflies and butterfly caterpillars and
info on host plants is: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/
Learn to recognize the different types of butterfly caterpillars so you don't end up spraying them with an insect killer!
Always supply birds with a clean source of water, especially in winter when everything is frozen. Butterflies appreciate "puddles" to sip from and a shallow saucer of water with pebbles in the bottom makes an effective source. Just be sure to place it in the shade.
Birds that decide to raise their young in your yard will eat tremendous amounts of insect pests as they feed their young. So not only are they a treat to have around, they also help you battle pests!
Click on this link for UGA's publication on shrubs and trees suitable for the southeast that provide ideal food and shelter for birds:
Attracting Birds 
Joel Williams wearing his
‘The trout, the whole trout,and
nothing but the trout,
so help
me
cod’ apron and Steve ‘the
Cooking Carpenter’ Roper,
prepare food at Full Bloom
Nursery's annual Spring
Open House.
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Watering In 2010
The Georgia Water Stewardship Act went into effect statewide on June 2, 2010. The following outdoor water uses also are allowed daily at any time of the day by anyone:
Commercial agricultural operations as defined in Code Section 1-3-3;
Capture and reuse of cooling system condensate or storm water in compliance with applicable local ordinances and state guidelines;
Reuse of gray water in compliance with Code Section 31-3-5.2 and applicable local board of health regulations adopted pursuant thereto;
Use of reclaimed waste water by a designated user from a system permitted by the Environmental
Protection Division of the
department to provide reclaimed waste water;
Irrigation of personal food gardens;
Irrigation of new and replanted plant, seed, or turf in landscapes, golf courses, or sports turf fields during installation
and for a period of 30 days immediately
following the date of installation;
Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses;
Handwatering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container;
Use of water withdrawn from private water wells or surface water by an
owner or operator of property if such well or surface water is on said property;
Irrigation of horticultural crops held for sale, resale, or installation;
Irrigation of athletic fields, golf courses, or public turf grass recreational areas;
Installation, maintenance, or calibration of irrigation systems; or
Hydroseeding.
Water Stewardship Act
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