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Butterfly gardening soars in popularity

It's hard to stay stressed in a butterfly garden. Just listen to

the calm, happy voice of LuAnn Craighton, naturalist at

Callaway Gardens near Pine Mountain. Ms. Craighton developed the

educational aspects of the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center. The center is

an indoor conservatory where visitors can see approximately

1,000 tropical butterflies flying about on any given day.

"The last five years have seen exponential growth in

butterfly gardening," Craighton says. The American Nursery and

Landscape Association (ANLA) asked Ms. Craighton to share her

knowledge on this high flying trend.

If you plant it, they will come

"People make butterfly gardening too complex; you can

do it if you want to," says Craighton. You'll need more than a

sunny attitude however. Butterflies require bright sunshine.

Nectar-producing flowers add beauty to the landscape, but don't

underestimate the importance of host plants for a well-rounded butterfly

environment. Host plants provide food for caterpillars and

egg-laying areas for adult butterflies.

"Butterfly gardening doesn't mean having an unattractive

garden," Craighton comments. With many butterfly-attracting

plants, it's all in where you place them. "Plants themselves aren't

positive or negative, but location is. What's considered a

noxious weed one place is fine somewhere else - like in naturalized areas

or in drainage ditches." Nurserymen can help you find plants

your landscape will tolerate.

Adjust your pest perception

The most critical tenant of butterfly gardening is simple, yet

difficult for some - don't spray pesticides! "There are different

solutions to problems in the garden," Craighton notes. The trends

of organic approaches and butterfly gardening go hand-in-hand.

According to Craighton, pesticides can be avoided in several

ways. "Handpick pests off plants or use insecticidal soaps which are

nontoxic when dry." Plant selection often dictates which pests

show up in your yard. Milkweeds, for instance, are "wonderful hosts

for monarchs, but golden aphids like them too," Craighton

explains. Nature, in her wisdom, creates controls of her own -

milkweed bugs eat aphids. Remember too that "Pest problems vary

tremendously from year to year depending on weather," she adds.

Eating habits know the facts

"Monarchs are the best ambassadors - they eat only

milkweed," according to Craighton. Butterfly caterpillars, she explains,

have such specific eating habits that they are dependent on just a

few plants for only a couple of weeks at a time. If you've avoided

butterfly gardening because you imagine feeding frenzies of

Biblical proportions, do some research. "Life cycle is really

critical to understanding eating habits," Craighton says. Again,

garden centers can help you learn which caterpillar is a

munching menace and which is a miracle about to happen. Many

centers host seminars on butterfly gardening, sell books or offer

literature on the topic.

The big picture

Patience is a virtue for everyone, especially butterfly

gardeners. Craighton notes that native populations alter greatly

from year to year, depending on weather and environment.

Watching and wondering what's going to happen each year is part of

the magic of gardening. She encourages gardeners and their

children to keep butterfly journals and biographies.

Ms. Craighton believes the positive impact of butterfly

gardening extends far and wide. "It raises awareness of animals

dependence on plants. That translates to people making better

decisions for their community."

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