God’s Flying Jewels
One of the most beloved of God’s creations, it seems, is the butterfly, or as Kathy Zaluska calls them, God’s flying jewels.
Known as The Butterfly Lady, Kathy has been gardening with butterflies in mind for a number of years, now, and is our county’s resident expert about all things butterfly, and caterpillar, too.
According to Kathy, butterflies are in jeopardy for two main reasons. The first is the lack of the natural environment they need to survive. This is due mainly to the quick elimination of their natural habitat through, what some might call “progress,” while others might call it destruction. With more and more land being cleared, much of the natural habitat that butterflies need to survive is simply not in existence.
The problem lies in the fact that caterpillars, in our area, feed on a limited number of weeds and natural plants. Along with this, caterpillars also need certain plants in order to form their chrysalis on. As land is cleared, these plants disappear. To combat this, Kathy encourages all gardeners and butterfly lovers to set aside just 20% of their land, and let it “go natural.” In time, butterflies will come to love this naturalized area, and make this their new home.
The other factor that jeopardizes the butterfly population is a little easier to control, the use of pesticides in the garden, and throughout the yard. Pesticides are often used to eliminate unwanted plants and weeds in the yard. Yet, the use of pesticides is destroying the butterflies. As I walked around Kathy’s butterfly haven, she reminded me that any insect that lands upon a plant sprayed with a pesticide will carry that poison, and eventually the insect will succumb. Instead, as Kathy points out, there are a number of organic solutions that are now available on the market.
One of the most common of God’s flying jewels in our county is the Eastern Swallowtail, a large black and yellow butterfly. They, and other butterflies, are easy to attract to your garden, if you keep a few simple tips in mind. To begin with, they need host plants, or plants where butterflies lay their eggs upon. When hatched, the caterpillars eat the foliage, or leaves, from this plant, so don’t fret if you see this happening. The end result is the flying jewel you are trying to attract.
Butterflies also need plenty of plants that have nectar in them, much like the hummingbird. Common plants include the ever popular Butterfly Bush, along with Lantana, Bee Balm, Yarrow, Spiderwort, Black Eyed Susans, Coneflowers, and other flowering plants.
As butterflies like sunny places best, they will also need water to combat the heat. A shallow bird bath will work, though you will find that butterflies love mud, as they get much of their nutrients from here. A shallow bowl with pebbles and dirt with water added will be a feast for the butterflies. Finally, butterflies do need cover from the environments, and trees can provide this.
Kathy has been growing plants for butterflies for some time now, and is devoted to telling others of them. Next time you are on the square and you spy some one with butterfly bushes for sale, wearing a butterfly shirt, chances are it is her. Take some time to visit with her, as she is always happy to pass along her tips on how to save our butterfly population. As she says, just watching them brings peace of mind. Enjoy!