Plant a butterfly garden.

Attract butterflies to your garden by making it butterfly-friendly. No garden? That's okay. Use a planter on a balcony or a windowsill instead.

Plant plenty of nectar-producing flowers for adult butterflies. Masses of fragrant, brightly-colored (especially red and yellow) flowers are best.

When possible, provide open, sunny areas and flat rocks in places sheltered from wind. Butterflies are cold-blooded and need to warm themselves in sunny spots.

Make small puddles of water so butterflies can get the moisture they need. A birdbath or a small container of water partly buried in the ground will do.

Kids Take Action!: If you have chosen this activity, tell us about it, and get an official National Geographic Be a Habitat Hero certificate!

If you want to learn more about butterflies and creating a habitat for them, check out Butterfly Zone.

Photograph by Peter Mountain