Monarch Butterflies – What is Planting in Drifts and How to Plant for Migrating Butterflies

By: , The Thoughtful Gardener

Welcome our series of videos exploring how we can support butterfly migration by planting fueling stations that will support them on their incredible journey.

This time, we continue our tour around the Adams Ricci Park in Enola, Pennsylvania. 

Designed by the Master Gardeners of Central PA, the park’s butterfly garden serves as a hub for pollinators of all kinds, and as a vital waystation for migrating monarch Butterflies. The garden is planted using the 3x3x3 method. This means the garden is made up of various plants that will bloom throughout all three seasons (spring, summer, and fall). Each species is planted together in groups of three, in a space of three feet. These groups are called “drifts,” and they mimic the way plants tend to grow naturally, encouraging more pollinators to visit.

Sign up for Heather’s course here, or watch all of the videos in this series on our YouTube channel.

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