Welcome to my website where you can find information obtained from my garden located in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA (a suburb of Washington, D.C.).  This includes my findings regarding the plants that are most attractive to butterflies in my garden.  There are also photos from the garden on most pages of the website.  I hope you enjoy using it to create, or add to, your own butterfly garden.

If you're interested in watching butterflies, I strongly recommend creating a butterfly garden. During my first year of butterfly gardening (1993) with just a few plants specially for butterflies, I saw 14 butterfly species in the garden. Since then, I have added many plants to attract butterflies. In 2008, I observed 38 butterfly species (out of a total of 56 seen in the garden since 1993). Creating a butterfly garden also attracts other interesting plants and animals.

You don't need to live in the country or next to a natural area to attract butterflies. Small suburban lots with mowed-grass lawns and a few trees and shrubs surround my garden. Rock Creek National Park is about a half-mile away.

         Eric Raun