For a longer list of butterfly garden plants, view our Butterfly Plant List (PDF).

Butterfly Garden Tips

• Butterfly gardens should be planted in full sun.
• In addition to nectar-producing flowers, consider plants that caterpillars like to munch such as fennel and milkweed, and keep in mind that some butterflies lay their eggs in trees.
• Mass-plant single varieties for visual appeal and more butterflies.
• Stagger bloom times to ensure butterfly attraction throughout the warm seasons.
• Keep your garden free of pesticides!
• Butterflies love to sunbathe, so include a few flat, dark stones in your garden.
• Butterflies also need water, and they take minerals from the soil by “puddling,” or sipping from wet soil. Bury a dish of coarse sand (kept wet), or include dishes of water with pebbles or sticks for perching.
• Learn your local butterflies – plant larval host plants to attract your common species.

August begins right in the middle of the “dog days of summer,” the hottest and most sultry time of the year. Ancient cultures believed that the excessive heat was caused by the alignment of Sirius, the Dog Star, with the sun during the summer. These are the days when everything seems languid and still – except mosquitoes, of course – and the sun threatens to bake lawns, gardens, and gardeners alike.

There is plenty to do in the garden in August, although it is best done in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are more comfortable. Whether you’re in cooler climates making early preparations for autumn, or warmer ones enjoying the height of the garden’s bounty, here are some suggestions for tasks around your yard and garden in August.

Lawn Maintenance and Preparation

• Prepare for fall grass seed planting by leveling low spots, removing weeds, and choosing your seed if it needs to be ordered in advance.
• Aerate your lawn and dethatch it.
• If there is plenty of rainfall, fertilize your lawn.
• To help your grass beat the heat and reduce lawn maintenance, keep your lawn mower blade on the highest setting. Don’t worry if parts of your yard turn brown this time of year – it happens.

Annuals and Perennials

• Spring and summer-flowering perennials can be divided and transplanted after blooming. In zones 5 and warmer: divide overgrown plants and discard the extra, or transplant during the coolest part of the day and preferably in the shade.
• Trim and fertilize your containers – they still have time for another show.
• Deal with late-season pests – such as aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites – with a spray of water from the hose.
• Treat diseased plants, and remove diseased foliage before leaves drop.
• Prune back vigorous climbers such as wisteria, and train them around trellises while the growth is soft.
• Propagate plants by collecting seeds, taking cuttings, or layering.
• Continue deadheading! For prolific bloomers like coreopsis and catmint, shear them lightly to encourage more blooms.
• Label your plants with garden stakes, particularly perennials that die down to the ground in the fall.
• In colder zones 1-3, begin moving your houseplants indoors to acclimate them.

Vegetables and Herbs

• Cut herbs to dry or freeze for winter use.
• Fall vegetable and herb seeds or starters can be planted now. If you live in colder climates, use a cold frame, otherwise sow directly in the ground. Consider spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, lettuce, overwintering onions, kale, kohlrabi, rutabagas, turnips, dill, cilantro, parsley, and chives.
• Plant garlic for spring harvest. Harvest spring-planted garlic when the leaves turn brown. Remove flower stalks from garlic plants to encourage bulb growth.
• Enjoy your harvest!

Shrubs and Trees

• Pick up and destroy fallen fruit from fruit trees to limit insect infestations.
• Make sure newly planted shrubs and trees get plenty of water.
• Install stakes for training and shaping.

Plan Ahead

• Place orders for spring bulbs. If you live in a warm climate, put them in the refrigerator to chill.
• Place orders for shrubs and trees to plant in the fall.
• Apply compost starter to new compost to speed up decomposition for fall use.
• Take pictures, or make notes, of plants you like while they’re blooming and full of leaves.
• Take note of the growth habits of shrubs for future pruning – they should be at their fullest about now.

Maintain

• Water, water, water! Early morning is the best time to water – target plants directly, and water deeply. Avoid getting leaves wet in the hot sun, and avoid soaking containers during the hottest part of the day – both of these can burn plants.
• Keep close watch on your birdbath, water features, and hummingbird feeder – take steps to correct or avoid mold, stagnation, and mosquito larvae.
• Continue weeding, to reduce competition for water and nutrients.
• Beware of powdery mildew, which is caused by moisture and humidity. Help prevent mildew by watering in the cool of the morning, when roots can absorb water but excess will evaporate as the day warms. Also avoid overhead sprinkling in mildew-prone areas. Do not compost leaves that are mildewed.
• When the temperature is over 85 degrees, avoid chemical applications such as fertilizer, fungicide, or insecticide.
• Add compost and mulch to keep your garden cool and to prepare for fall planting.

Stay cool, and enjoy the bounty of your work this growing season!

Hi Barbara,

Gypsum is still available, but it’s not recommended for general use. Gypsum (calcium sulfate) is used specifically as a chemical remedy in crusty clay soils containing excess sodium (called “sodic soils”). These soils usually occur in western states and are best identified by chemical soil analysis.

For general purposes, routinely working organic material into your garden—such as well-rotted compost—will both condition and aerate the soil. The compost continues to break down underground, adding nutrients and workability to the soil, but this breakdown also means that the process will need to be repeated every year or so for lasting results. In my garden, I’ve had good luck with an aggregated slate product called PermaTill. Worked into the soil, it not only keeps the soil loose and uncompacted, but also acts as a deterrent to moles and voles.

Hello everyone, and welcome! What an exciting summer this has been so far with ideas, energy, and dirt flying like confetti. Around the Yard is growing, and I’m thrilled to be able to share information, ideas, and gardening experiences with you. As a beginning gardener, I quickly learned that the best source of wisdom was other gardeners. My mission is to make Around the Yard a valuable well of knowledge you can draw from for your yard and an online community to connect with fellow growers like yourself. Above all, the information presented here should be accurate, practical, and clear – and I’m counting on you to help ensure this. Each article and blog entry has a space for comments, and I welcome your experiences, responses, and feedback. In addition, you can use our Ask Julie form to send me an e-mail or question. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!

Our Around the Yard site at dannylipford.com has a new face! Gardening enthusiast Julie Day will be posting her insights, writing articles, and answering your questions concerning everything green. Julie has been digging in the dirt since an early age and her passion for gardening and the outdoors shows. Find out more About Julie and read Julie’s blog on Around the Yard. You can also e-mail your lawn and garden questions to Ask Julie, some of which will be answered on the site.

So whether it’s beating the summer heat through Landscaping with Drought-Tolerant Plants or finding out how to attract Hummingbirds in the Garden, Julie’s insights and information are sure to bring out your green thumb.

I’d like to add some extra smoke detectors to my home, but I want to make sure they’re reliable. Do I need to have them hardwired? - Amy from Ohio

Smoke alarms are one of the best safety features you can buy for your home and can be purchased for as little as $7. While smoke detectors are hardwired into houses in new construction, battery powered unit are best for existing homes. They are easy to install, but you need to remember to changes the batteries about twice a year. Install at least one smoke alarm per level of your home near the bedrooms, and another in the garage.

Interior decorator Diane Berry of Unique Designs, Inc. discusses how to work with a client to design the perfect master bedroom suite. In addition to a bed with upholstered headboard; the room will include a reading area, desk for writing, and a built-in breakfast bar.

Schluter-Ditra Tile Underlayment is a polyethylene membrane that replaces ½” cement backer board when applying tile over a plywood subfloor. At only 1/8″ thick, it can significantly reduce the finished height of a tile floor. The flexible membrane comes in rolls and weighs only two ounces per square foot. After being cut to length, it’s set in a bed of thin-set mortar then covered by another coat of thin-set in which the tiles are laid. The membrane acts as an uncoupling layer to prevent cracking as well as providing waterproofing in one easy application. It’s available at The Home Depot stores.

To make a composite deck look like new again, try cleaning it with a product specifically designed for composite decks like Corte-Clean. This eco-friendly product removes everything from mold and mildew to grease and barbecue stains, all without harmful chemicals or bleach. After mixing the concentrated liquid with warm water, spray it on and let it sit for 10 to 45 minutes. Scrub the surface if necessary then hose it off.

More information on this project can be found at (638) Today’s Addition (Part 2).