Diane Walczak's grandbaby reaches out to touch a tiger swallowtail as it dines on phlox.

Second of twoLast week, I wrote about how pollinators appreciate a natural, pesticide-free environment in which to thrive and how planting and maintaining a pollinator garden is fun and rewarding.I covered selecting and preparing the site and garden design, along with the importance of understanding nectar and host plants.Butterflies lay eggs on and caterpillars feed from the host plant. Nectar plants provide food for the adult butterflies.Many butterflies have evolved to be able to use only one or a few plant species as host for their eggs and caterpillars, while the adults generally get nectar from several types of flowers. As discussed last week, the monarch has evolved to lay its eggs on milkweed species.The tiger swallowtail is another frequent visitor to my pollinator garden. This butterfly uses one of several trees — wild cherry, ash, willow, birch, and tulip poplar — on which to lay eggs. Having one or more of these trees near your garden area will attract tiger swallowtails.To feed its caterpillars, the eastern black swallowtail uses plants in the carrot family. Dill, parsley, Queen Ann's lace and fennel attract this dark beauty.The fritillary is another regular guest in my garden. There are many types of fritillaries; most lay their eggs at the base of violets in late summer or fall. The newly hatched caterpillars do not immediately feed; rather, they overwinter and feed from the young violet leaves in the spring.There are many plants that provide nectar for adult butterflies. By monitoring butterflies in my garden, I have come up with a list of the most visited flowers.Some research will be helpful to learn bloom times of each shrub and plant to provide a succession of blooms in your garden.A great early bloomer to consider is witch hazel, a small tree growing from 10 to 30 feet high.

At the time the witch hazel flowers, the annual forget-me-nots will begin to bloom. Although I have found them to be a bit invasive, they will be buzzing with bees and provide nectar until my Coppertina ninebarks and viburnums start to bloom.These are followed by perennial Salvia, then by catmint, mullein, betony “Hummelo,” Penstemon digitalis ''Husker Red'' and yarrow.While these plants are still blooming the best flowers begin to draw in the visitors of honor, the butterflies and hummingbirds.The best pollinator plants in my garden are pink coneflower, bee balm, cardinal flower, Agastache, Rudbeckia, obedient plant, phlox, blazing star, a “Blue Chip” butterfly bush, hydrangea and a few containers of mints.These plants will continue to bloom all summer through frost.The last bloomers in my garden will be Joe-Pye weed, Sedum ''Autumn Joy'' and clematis virginiana which will provide nectar for the migrating monarchs and hummingbirds and keep the bees buzzing until time comes for them to form their cozy “winter cluster” around the queen bee until spring arrives again.My plantings will continue to change as I search for better cultivars and new plants that will enhance the beauty as well as pollinator use of my garden. My garden has been certified “pollinator friendly.”You can learn how to certify your pollinator garden through Penn State Master Gardeners by checking out the Master Gardener Website.You will also find more useful information at Penn State's Center for Pollinator Research site.