My Butterfly Garden Experiment: A Behind the Scenes Look

I will always think of it as my butterfly summer. Yes, summer is technically over, but not so in my mind’s eye! There it flutters about, still bringing a lightness to my spirit that wasn’t always present during what was an oppressively hot and humid season.

It all began when I decided on somewhat of a whim to plant a butterfly garden. I was mostly motivated by a desire to attract butterflies to photograph as references for artwork.

My first challenge? To find a place in my garden that gets full sun. Absent of any real planning, I recruited a raised bed garden where tomatoes had previously grown and found another sunny spot in the foreground of a mulched bed. This was not going to be visually pleasing for my overall garden aesthetic, but I could see this area from the back door and keep an eye out for butterflies as I went about the day.

I began with the mulched bed. Milkweed had already popped up in several places around the yard, so I transplanted those into the bed hoping they would be irresistible for Monarchs. I also planted several colors of lantana because wherever I go, butterflies are always on lantana! A phlox plant somehow showed up from our local nursery, Kings Garden Center. The one in our daughter’s front yard had won me over.

Meanwhile, in the raised garden bed I experimented with seeds…cosmos, zinnias, and asters. Of those, the zinnias were the only ones to produce lots of flowers. The asters never came up, and the cosmos kept falling over, breaking their main stems.

I remembered that butterflies feed on more than just nectar. They will often congregate on wet sand and mud puddles to draw up sodium and minerals. To provide this option, I created a puddling station from an old potted plant saucer and set it on the ground near the lantana. After adding some sand, red clay, a bit of garden soil, and rocks for perching, I watered it regularly to keep the soil damp. Sadly, I never witnessed any butterflies in the saucer, but squirrels would stop by for a drink when the water puddled.

In addition to feeding on nectar or water, and depending on the species, butterflies use their proboscis to sip from overripe or rotting fruit and tree sap. Some are attracted to animal secretions such as aphid honeydew, sweat, or dung. Amazingly, they can taste with their feet upon landing, so when their proboscis unfurls they get an immediate foretaste. In May, I spotted this Carolina Satyr on the trunk of our pin oak. Can you see the sap that leaked from a small puncture in the trunk? The Red-Spotted Purple is sipping from a colorful, sticky mushroom.

Discouragement was the first result of my efforts.

Butterflies weren’t finding what I’d (admittedly not so) carefully provided. I would regularly peer through the back storm door, watching. Yet, my efforts seemed futile. Both neighbors across the circle have more flowers, and I wondered if the butterflies preferred their gardens over mine. But finally, as the summer wore on things began to happen…

In late June I saw this Cabbage White on our blueberry plant. They are nectar drinkers and I suppose this one eventually relocated to the zinnias that were nearby.

Then in late July I spotted the above Pearl Crescent on the marigolds planted among some vegetables. These vibrant beauties prefer asters, and I have one aster plant not so far from these marigolds… or maybe this one is sampling a sip of something different?

August brought more variety! It was fun to pull out my guide and try to identify each one.

The Parade continued throughout September! In addition to those shown below, two more Monarchs visited, laying eggs on the milkweed!

My Experience Netted a Few Lessons.

First, other than the milkweed that monarchs require, I didn’t consider host plants before I started with this adventure. Hosts are specific plants that butterflies require for egg laying. Butterflies lay their eggs on particular plants, and some will lay only on one plant or family of plants. In some cases, I was fortunate though! The dill plant in my vegetable garden hosts Black Swallowtails, and the passion flowers I already had in the mulched bed are a host plant for Variegated Fritillaries.

Butterflies are most active during the heat of the day. When they make an appearance, there’s usually a brief window of time in which to observe each one. I found it mesmerizing to give all my attention to a butterfly for five or ten minutes. It preoccupied me in such a way that I became unaware of the impact of the extreme heat. So, with tongue in cheek, I say “don’t attempt this at home” without mindfulness of the risk involved.

Although using a camera wouldn’t be required to enjoy a butterfly garden, I learned it helped me observe more closely both in the moment and later on. Several butterflies vanished before I could capture their image, and the great majority of my photos were out of focus. However, in the process I concluded that a smart phone is not always a distraction as we often hear proclaimed. Instead, it enhanced my attentiveness and awareness. It heightened my curiosity and fueled wonder!

Without wielding my smart phone, would I have been captivated by how they command their large, kite-like wings for maneuverability; how some glide about and others flit and flutter with all manner of flapping?

Would I have lingered to notice how delicately they alight on a blossom and the graceful perfection of their balance there in the breeze?

Would I have seen how marvelously they grip with those tiny claws at the end of their long legs?

Would I have appreciated the eagerness and dexterity with which they extend their proboscis?

Or tucked up under the wings, would I have inspected how even their abdomen markings are gorgeously designed and purposefully appointed? 

Despite a few discouragements, these were my real gains.

The higher success of butterfly gardening is the lightness and joy that springs up through exploring God’s design and creativity in new ways. He sets His glory before us that our spirits may take wing with praise.