I have a lovely outdoor DIY project for you today- a trailing butterfly planter.
We have spent the past few years gradually clearing and planning our garden.
The garden was one of the major selling points when we viewed the house, it was just gorgeous, but as soon as we moved in we realised almost everything was planted in the wrong place and needed a lot of extra work to look half decent. I couldn’t give it the attention it deserved. On top of that it had a lot of thorny plants and shrubs. So when the kids came along we took a drastic decision to dig up most of the plants, relocate a few, and start afresh.
It’s been hard work, and we’ve stared at big bare (ahem, weedy) patches in our borders the past few years, but it has definitely been worth it. This year we’re finally getting to the fun stuff- planting and making pretty.
My main priorities for the garden are that it is family-friendly, easy maintenance, and attracts butterflies.
One of our favourite outings in the summer is our local Butterfly World. The kids love running around the beautiful gardens, standing completely still in the butterfly house in the hope some will land on them, and learning more about them. I want to bring some of those experiences home.
So when the lovely people at Wayfair contacted me about making something for Butterfly Education and Awareness Day, which takes place on the first Saturday of June each year (and just so happens to fall on Swedish National Day, June 6, this year), I jumped at the chance. They gifted me the planter, and I set to work.
This pretty butterfly planter is the perfect addition to patios, decks and other areas that could easily be over looked when planning a garden. It’s also perfect for plants that may not normally thrive in your soil, like Rhododendrons. Head on over to Wayfair for the full tutorial.
And now I have the perfect incentive to repaint the deck!
Do you do anything to attract butterflies to your home?
Edited to add: I’ve had a few people ask me what paint colour I used. It’s Farrow & Ball Green Blue no. 84, which is just as gorgeous as it seems.
Oh Carin, it’s so pretty. We are like you in that the garden was a gret selling point but we have had to dig so many established plants up to get it back under control. I can’t wait to add the prettiness back! x
Thanks hun! Yeah, I’ve had to remind myself that sometimes things look worse before they look better. Hope you can add prettiness back soon too! xx