Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard: Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beauty on the Wing

I live in a townhouse near Salt Lake City, and I want to build a few planters to attract some butterflies. This book gave all the information I needed to make the difficult choices when deciding what plants I need. It has a guide in the back that is full of drawings of each common species (in this case better than photos because subtle distinguishing features can be exaggerated) along with information such as range, host plants, caterpillar, plants they find attractive, and other interesting comments. I have seen a few swallowtails and monarchs in the area, so those are the ones I am going to try and attract. Thanks to Sally Roth's insight and perfectly laid out book, I know exactly what I need to do in my tiny butterfly garden. Then, once I graduate from grad school and get a place with a bit more space, I will know where to turn to plan a much larger landscape.Sally Roth does a great job giving the perfect amount of information. I learned a ton while reading this book, and was not bored for a single second. I came to one point in the reading where I wanted to get some info on Asters, so I quickly flipped to the index to get some instant gratification, and the info I was looking for was on the very next page! There are tables throughout the book to give guidance in plant selection that are extraordinarily helpful, and thanks to my engineering background, I love tables, I think they're great. There is a table for plants that thrive in the shade, a table for vines, a table for trees, and many others.In this book there is plenty of good information about hummers too, but I already know that hummers in my area are super easy to entice. I put out a pair of feeders late summer last year and promptly had a ton of broad-tailed hummingbirds on scene. This book is laid out to show you how to attract both hummers and butterflies throughout the text, but even if your looking merely to attract one or the other (even though you're likely to attract both), all the information is there and presented with excellent clarity.This is a 5 star book if I've ever seen one.

This book has great information and lots of it. The author provides a lot of easy ways to attract life into a garden. Also, many plants are listed that thrive in midwest states (where the soil is like clay) were listed that I have never heard of before. It is explained why hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to certain plants, which helps you to think for yourself when you are out plant shopping. There are some tips and techniques that cost practically nothing which are fun projects for couples or parents and their children. I really enjoy this book and it is one that I can look at over and again and still learn something new to use in the garden. It will be a great tool this summer to me.

This book provides a wealth of information on different types of butterflies and the specific plants that attract them.It also contains very useful information for creating an inviting habitat for hummingbirds.The detailed information on particular plants and flowers, when and where they bloom, available colors, and what they attract is wonderful.There are a few garden designs as well, just enough to encourage you to come up with your own ideas.Covers important items like providing a habit that provides for food, water, shelter, nesting materials (for hummingbirds), host plants (for butterflies), and so forth; as well as a few fun craft-type projects that some will enjoy.Easy to browse casually or read up on a topic of interest.

When I initially received this book, I was trying to make sense of it in terms of organization. I like the quick reference guides that are organized by color or location of the winged treasure. What I finally realized after taking it with me everywhere to flip through it, is that this isn't a quick reference guide at all. It is a book that I can sit down to actually read, enjoy, and discover ALOT in its pages from plant references to garden patterns to what plants attract which winged treasures. You may want a quick reference for porch sitting or birdwatching. This is a book written for reading and living, not on the fly.....hahahahaha.

I was caught by an article in the Sunday paper. I found the book and was set loose to create new ideas. Our yard 'assistant' and designer had great ideas for our space and climate. The book supplied the details! I am looking forward to watching the plants grow and butterflies and hummingbirds visit!

Oh how I love this book and what it has taught me. A beautiful book on hummingbirds with so much information I am blown away. I went and took the suggestions for certain flowering plants and shrubs for our hummingbird garden and I have so many coming and butterflies too. Fantastic book and the information is in depth but easy to read. Love all the charts for plant suggestions. I highly recommend this book.

This is a very good book for a beginning green gardener. Because it covers both butterflies and hummers, there is not as much info about each as I had hoped. The lists at the back of plants are covering the whole of the US, so this is also not as detailed as it could be.

Nice book with lots of options and idea's. Good pictures and detailsPro's:Lot's of suggestions on plantsPlants for every locationDescriptions of what it attracts; IE butterflys or Hummingbirds or both.Garden designsSpecies information: types of butterfly's and Hummingbirds with geographics.Con's: Not muchWish it had a few more Garden designs, but be creative and make your own.Can't go wrong with this book.

Good