Butterflies are a wonderful part of a healthy garden. They -- and innumerable other insects that pollinate plants -- are also ecologically and economically vital, but they are on the decline.

Gardeners can help offset the loss by planting flowers that sustain butterflies and other pollinators. A garden designed with pollinators in mind is as beautiful as any other, and perhaps even more so.

Butterflies, moths, bees, beetles, hummingbirds and even bats all are pollinators. Their health and welfare are critical to a healthy and diverse ecosystem, and to the production of one in every three bites of food we take, according to the National Pollinator Garden Network. The organization has just launched an ambitious campaign, the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, to encourage the planting of pollinator-friendly landscapes to invigorate pollinator populations. The goal is to register one million pollinator gardens, large and small, old and new, across the country.

"If you have four acres, that would be wonderful," says Matthew Shepherd, communications director for the Xerces Society, the wildlife conservation and protection organization. "But if you have an urban plot, a community garden, or a spot on the balcony of your 10th-floor condo, you can plant flowers," he says. "You can do that anywhere."

Monarch butterflies are perhaps all pollinators' most widely recognized ambassador, and they are among the most endangered. Millions of acres of the natural habitat of this flashy orange-and-black butterfly have been lost to development and to the use of agricultural herbicides. The Monarch Watch program, which encourages gardeners to plant milkweed (the leaves of these plants are the only food monarch caterpillars eat) has raised considerable public awareness; the program is among the 25 partners in the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge.

Perhaps the most prominent pollinator garden in the world is the Butterfly Habitat Garden at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The garden was established in 1995, and next year, it will have a new name: the Pollinator Garden. "It's time to tell the broader message," says James Gagliardi, lead horticulturist with Smithsonian Gardens at the Natural History Museum. "A lot of people are fearful or just don't like insect activity," he says. "But it's very positive. Flowers and fruits are not going to be around without these pollinators."

A gardener's role in all this is easy: Plant flowers. The blooms you already love are likely to be among those preferred by butterflies and other pollinators.

Native plants rub shoulders with non-natives in the Butterfly Habitat Garden. Gagliardi grows native perennials such as goldenrod, which blooms in the fall, and mountain mint, which has silvery leaves and tiny pink flowers, and attracts an abundance of pollinators. He also grows bright annuals, among them zinnias, which are a magnet for butterflies, and Mexican sunflower, a tall plant covered with bright orange flowers -- and pollinators -- in late summer and fall.

Big sweeps of colorful flowers blooming through the summer are important, but the most effective and successful pollinator gardens have blooms throughout the season, from earliest spring until a hard frost. Trees, shrubs and vines also fit into the picture.

"Just by planting one tree, you can really make a difference," says Peggy Anne Montgomery of American Beauties Native Plants, another partner in the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. A mighty oak would be great, she says, but so are many small trees, such as serviceberry, "a lovely small tree that supplies nectar and berries, and has great fall color."

Montgomery relies as much as possible on native plants, with which North American pollinators are likely to have well-established ecological relationships. She recommends long-blooming native perennial coneflowers, phlox and ironweed. Include butterfly milkweed and ornamental grasses in your pollinator garden, too, she says, creating layered plantings that look rich and full, help hold each other up through summer wind and rain, and provide shelter for insects during the winter.

Renee Shepherd, owner of the seed company Renee's Garden, says that annual flowers grown from seed are every gardener's gateway plants to a colorful and easy pollinator-friendly garden. Annual sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, cleome and alyssum all attract butterflies and other pollinators. Herbs should be part of the mix, she says: Plant plenty of them, let them bloom and see how many pollinators they attract. Shepherd likes cilantro, arugula, basil and chives both for their taste and because they attract so many pollinators. She practices succession planting, so she always has fresh herbs for the kitchen and blooming herbs outside for the pollinators.

Of course, pollinators find their way to vegetable gardens, too. Beans, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers all attract pollinators, but you'll have more pollinators -- and more impressive harvests -- in a vegetable garden that includes flowers. "The more diversity you have, the more pollinators," Shepherd says.

Above all, a pollinator garden is no place for pesticides. "We don't use them" in the Butterfly Habitat Garden, Gagliardi says. "Our garden is very healthy and very balanced, too." Visitors might notice holes in the leaves of a few plants, or they may discover curious striped caterpillars on the fennel or dill, "but if you want butterflies, you have to have food sources, and there are going to be holes in the leaves," Gagliardi says. Instead of fretting over insect damage, get to know the insects. In a pollinator garden, you'll have plenty to discover. Together with the flowers, these pretty pollinators put on quite a show.

SOURCES:

-- The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, launched this summer by the National Pollinator Garden Network, is a campaign to register one million public and private gardens and landscapes that support pollinators. To get your garden on the map: millionpollinatorgardens.org.

-- The Butterfly Habitat Garden at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History beautifully demonstrates the relationships between plants and butterflies and other pollinators. The garden is open every day, year round. Tours are available. For more information and a description of the garden's habitats, a butterfly list and tips on gardening for pollinators: gardens.si.edu.

-- The Xerces Society is a conservation organization dedicated to research, outreach and education. The society is a partner in the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. Pollinator Conservation resources on the Xerces Society's website include excellent regional lists for pollinator plants. xerces.org

-- Renee's Garden sells heirloom and new varieties of vegetable and flower seeds, emphasizing easy-to-grow, delicious and beautiful crops and flowers. The company is committed to organic gardening and good gardening practices. reneesgarden.com

-- American Beauties Native Plants has introduced a wide variety of native plants at garden shops through a branded-plant program, making many previously hard-to-obtain natives accessible to gardeners. The company's website includes several easy plans and plant lists for pollinator-friendly gardens. abnativeplants.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Water is always a powerful element in a garden, but you don't need a rushing cascade to capture the magic. It only takes a splash. You can have water in your garden and conserve resources, too.

Garden designers rely on water features of all kinds to complement their plantings and give gardens dimensions -- sound and light and movement -- that plants alone cannot provide. Water features can transform the feel of an entire garden. A reflecting surface of water -- even something as simple as a birdbath -- scatters light among the flowers. But water is one of the most fundamental resources, and conserving it while taking advantage of its soothing, cooling effect can require a little planning.

To make the most of water in the garden without wasting a drop, cut back on the spray. Just as oscillating or whirlybird sprinklers use more water than drip irrigation, a fountain that shoots up in the air consumes more water than a bubbling fountain. Splashing fountains lose a lot of water to evaporation, which means they will need to be replenished more frequently than a basin with a bubbler or a fountain that relies on a trickle of water to soften city noises and make a corner of your backyard feel like a world all its own.

The placement of a water feature also has an effect on the amount of water it needs to function. In bright sun or in windy exposures, you'll lose more water to evaporation than in a protected spot. The best place for a fountain or water feature is where you can see it, of course, and that spot just might ideally be in the shade on a patio instead of out in the middle of a sunny lawn, where a specimen plant or a piece of garden art could as appropriately be a focal point.

Water-wise water fountains or ponds also should have a minimum of exposed surface. In a pond, pads of water lilies on the surface of the water limit evaporation and help moderate fluctuations in the water temperature. Bubbling fountains, set in a basin covered with a heavy wire screen hidden by a layer of stones, also lose less water to evaporation because the surface of the water is not exposed to sun or wind. The screen and rocks also limit the amount of garden debris that falls into the basin, helping keep the recirculating pump from getting clogged up.

Gardeners in western states are perhaps the experts in low-water-use water features. In California, master gardeners offer courses and tips on making the most of water features so that there's no need to give them up. Deeper is better, says Rachel Oppendahl, a master gardener in Sonora, California, in the hot, dry foothills of the Sierras. Shallow water heats up and evaporates quickly, she says. Moving water also evaporates faster than still water. If you're really trying to conserve and want the lowest-maintenance water feature of all, choose a birdbath and let the birds provide the occasional sparkle and splash.

Waterfalls are among the most popular features among gardeners with ponds, says Aquascape, the Chicago-area pond specialist company, but you don't really need a pond to have a waterfall. The company designed a pondless waterfall to capture the effect. They're great in small gardens and low-maintenance gardens, or in gardens where a pond might be a hazard for young children. Since the surface area is limited, evaporation is not a significant problem.

Recirculating fountains require electricity; unless you are prepared to run a dedicated line, pick a spot fairly close to an outdoor outlet. Unlike trees and shrubs, a fountain will never outgrow its space, so you can place it right by a porch or patio or along the front walk, where it will be a very welcoming sight. They're natural focal points, but are effective tucked into a corner, too. Water features of all kinds also add dramatic impact just inside a garden gate.

Keep the plantings around a water feature simple. Ornamental grasses seem to complement water, catching the shimmering light from a surface of still water or sparkling in a bubbling fountain. Small shrubs, such as boxwood or spirea, frame a water feature nicely, and long-blooming perennial flowers bring the garden to the water's edge. Low ground covers are another natural choice. On a patio, plants in pots will give you a lot of flexibility around a fountain: Try ferns or hostas in pots in a shady spot, or a cheerful pot full of zinnias in the sun.

Small, water-wise water features have the additional advantage that you don't have to be an engineer to install them. They conserve your own energy, too, so you have just a little more time and inclination to enjoy the pleasant sight and sound of water in your own backyard.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Playing is what childhood is all about. Making a place to play in the garden inspires kids and sets them an example for the rest of their lives. Even in a tiny backyard, there is plenty of room for children to play, and for adults to have a good time, too.

There is a lot of play equipment on the market, but you don't have to commit yourself to fancy installations that look like a three-ring circus, says Lolly Tai, a landscape architect and professor at Temple University in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Kids really don't need all that. "Kids like height, they like water, they like plants, tree-houses and stepping stones," Tai says. "Give them a little water and sand, and all of a sudden creative play happens." Tai specializes in outdoor environments for kids, particularly in schoolyards and botanic gardens, where kids' gardens have taken off. Plants are part of it, of course, but swinging, sliding, running and splashing all have enormous appeal to kids.

Tai, the author of "Designing Outdoor Environments for Children," recommends taking your entire property into consideration when you're getting ready to add a play space for kids of any age. First, write down all the features you'd like -- a swingset, a treehouse, a sandbox, a vegetable or herb garden, or fragrant plants -- and then figure out where best to place these features within the topography of your yard.

"It takes doing and thinking," she says. Bear in mind the different ways adults and children will share the garden, and try to make them work together. Don't forget comfortable places to sit: The result should be inviting, beautiful and unselfconscious.

"When you design something that looks like it was meant to be there, it flows," Tai says. "You might not be able to tell it was designed, other than it just feels good."

A vegetable garden can most definitely be part of the play area. Raised-bed gardens are especially attractive to kids because they are of an accessible scale. "It's a great way to engage kids with nature and to introduce them to plants and bugs," Tai says. She also recommends providing shelter in a child's garden: You might want to build a tepee with sturdy garden stakes and plant morning glories or pole beans around the base.

Don't make the play area an afterthought of garden design, says Michael Laris, director of product development and strategy for Playworld, which makes imaginative, kidcentric playground equipment. "If your whole backyard is beautiful and the plastic sandbox is just stuck in the corner, what does that say about the hierarchy?" Laris says. "A child has rights like we do to have proper spaces. We should do things beautifully and well for them."

Laris, an architect who specializes in architecture for children, has studied the importance of play and how it helps kids develop critical thinking and respond to problems creatively. Playing also encourages collaboration and helps build compassion, Laris says. Organized sports are great, he says, but they're rule-based: The clock is always running, and, unlike simply playing outdoors, there are "fewer chances of really defining yourself."

Hopping through a garden on stepping stones, splashing in a sprinkler or running a race between the big oak tree and the edge of the patio develop the imagination and the personality in ways organized sports do not.

Take your children to a park or playground, Laris suggests, to see the kinds of play equipment they are interested in. This will help you make age-appropriate choices for your kids in your own backyard. A sandbox is a good starting place for small children. Swinging, sliding and spinning all help challenge and stimulate a child's senses. Grown-ups forget, but "learning to swing is a big thing," Laris says. For adults, the experience of teaching a child to pump his or her legs and swing higher and higher is exhilarating.

If you can, bring the natural world of plants, birds and bugs right up to the swingset or the backyard slide, says Mary Legoria, a science teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who has studied the relationship between kids and plants. Legoria is one of the presenters at the American Horticultural Society's National Children and Youth Garden Symposium in Austin this year.

Bird feeders, birdbaths and unusual plants, such as plants with fuzzy leaves or big, bright flowers, will attract kids' attention and spark their interest in nature, she says. Kids love to grow and eat strawberries, to nibble on mint and parsley and to discover the caterpillars and other insects in the garden. "They're really eager to find out what is going on," she says.

Whatever play space you create in your garden, let your kids jump, shout, tumble and roll all they want there -- or at a public playground. Muddy knees and learning that falling down is not the end of the world are part of the experience of play, Laris says. When kids play outside, they learn about their own abilities, develop balance and grace, and start to find their place in the world.

"Every child plays their way to becoming a human adult," Laris says. If they get dirty, remember this: They're having fun.

SOURCES

-- The American Horticultural Society's annual Children and Youth Garden Symposium is scheduled to be held July 9-11, 2015, in Austin, Texas; ahs.org.

-- Playworld's playground equipment is designed to inspire creative, unstructured play; playworldsystems.com

-- Lolly Tai is the author of "Designing Outdoor Environments for Children" (McGraw Hill, $57).

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)