During the winter do some research to find out what sacrifical plants you can plant to feed the butterfly larva. I love the butterfly bushes I have but generally they freeze to the ground and come up and flower on new shoots. Therefore some are just flowering now. I hope you received a mix of the plant but even if they are all labled the same you will find that some bloom at different times of the summer.

My naturist self cringes when I see people planting for mature butterflies but only think of the larva as worms to be destroyed.

Look for bushes that feed both the mature and larva forms. Many are on sale now because it costs more for the nurseries to carry over plants than to sell them at cost or less. One of the plants I have found at this time of the year that benefits the early bugs is blueberries. They bloom at a time that the early bugs including butterflies lack food.

You are right, you are having a happy day looking forward to next year. Winter is not here yet and I am waiting for spring already.

I do have blueberry bushes. :)

I think that would be a wonderful idea to have a caterpiller "nursery". The sacrificial plants will not only help the butterflies but keep the larvae off the plants I actually want to eat for myself. I have an area kinda empty and away from everything that could serve as a nesting site. I imagine that a place like that would need to be a bit sheltered. It is probably hard to lay eggs when the leaves are blowing in the wind.

I'll see what more I can do!

I agree with Maifluer. Look for host plants also for these wonderful and beautiful creatures. I am pretty new to the bird and butterfly world, so don't have much to add, but I am planting spicebush next year which is a host plant. There are many others, I just need to do some research just like you.

Happy Butterflying :) BTW: I can't wait for the next year either :)

I went out to plant some spring flowering bulbs around my new BBs and I noticed a lot of ladybugs hanging on them. Is this normal?

Ladybugs are some of the best bugs you can have. They eat bad bugs like aphids that suck plant juices. You may have some bad bugs on your bushes and the ladybugs are cleaning them up for you. They may also feel safe there with winter coming. I leave all my dead and dried up plants and leaves so the beneficial insects have a place to hide in winter. Im so envious of your lady bugs. I didn't have many this year because my neighbors spray all their plants and of course it kills all the good bugs too. Good luck with all your butterfly bushes and lovely ladybugs :-)
Bonnie

Most of the ladybugs you find are the Chinese ones. They are looking for a place to hide for the winter. Many birds will not eat because they have a very bitter taste. When they run into me I itch for a while from the contact. I have not been able to decide if their thin wings are leaving tiny scratches or if it is the chemical that I am reacting to.

I wouldn't be surprised if my bushes had bugs, being all overcrowded on the clearance rack and all. I did discover more hanging out in my yarrow as well. If all goes well, I'll have a little red army come spring!

I've never heard of someone reacting badly to a ladybug. Are you sure it's the ladybug and not something else touched at the same time?

I like to let them walk to the end of my finger and take off. :) I'm easily amused. lol