On the Wings of Enchantment
Our fascination with Butterfly is timeless and has long spoken to us of magic and transformation.
Butterfly is scientifically known as ‘Lepidoptera’, a Greek word meaning ‘scaly wings’. Butterfly gets its color from its loose powder-like scales. If you were to rub the scales off the wings, they would be transparent, like those of a fly!
The life cycle of Butterfly includes four stages. The first stage begins with the egg being set on the underside of leaves. Those same leaves will later provide food for the second stage (larva) which is the caterpillar. This stage is the main growth and eating stage, with the caterpillar growing so much that it outgrows its skin — repeating each new skin cycle approximately 4–6 times. The next stage, the pupa, is the biggest transformation stage, where the caterpillar turns into an adult. The butterfly’s pupa is called a chrysalis.
Ancient Lore…
Egyptians carved images of butterflies on tombs, most likely to symbolize the conversion of souls to the ‘Otherworld’.
Poet Robert Frost referred to butterflies as ‘flying flowers’, and artist Norman Rockwell found homes for the butterfly in his paintings. So attracting them to our gardens is like inviting miniature works of art!
My own bond with butterfly is deep and spiritual. My Dad was this big rough John Wayne type guy, yet he had a strong premonition that he was dying. He had no medical evidence to support his feeling, but kept trying to prepare the family for his passing. At one point he said to me, ‘Every time you see a butterfly, you will know it is me’. Strange, I thought to myself — dad never struck me as a butterfly lover. Well two weeks later my father died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Since then, every time I needed comforting or counsel a butterfly would appear, at times and in ways that would seem quite weird yet wonderful.
Many years later with my mother’s illness, butterfly made its strongest soul connection to me. One particular morning I got up and walked to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. As the water boiled, I looked out of the window to my fairy garden. What I saw was something from an ethereal world! The whole garden, fence and statuary were covered in huge yellow butterflies. I knew at that moment what I was witnessing was my Dad and all the other family members that had gone before, coming to take my Mum. I looked at the clock: it was 10:24 am. I made a pot of tea and phoned the hospital — my Mum had crossed over at 10:24 am. I now sport a tiny butterfly tattoo above my left wrist to honor the souls of those in my life that have passed on.
Nothing is as beautiful or mesmerizing as a garden that will attract a host of fluttering visitors all summer long. Creating a butterfly garden is not only interesting but will help in restoring the environment! With the population of butterflies on the decline due to pesticides and chemicals in gardening, it is more important than ever to create a habitat that welcomes and nurtures.
Butterflies have an extremely acute sense of smell so the fragrance of your garden will draw them from many miles. The most important factor is to provide both nectar and host plants. Good host plants are parsley and milkweed. Good nectar plants are zinnias and sunflowers.
What to Plant:
Aster, Lavender, Basil, Lilac, Bee Balm, Marigolds, Butterfly Weed, Orange-eye Butterfly Bush, Black-eyed Susan, Petunias, Daylilies, Phlox, Dill, Purple Cornflower, Fennel, Red Hot Poker, Fuchsias, Rosemary, Goldenrod, Thyme, Hibiscus, Verbena, Impatiens, Zinnias.
Recommended Reading:
An Obsession with Butterflies — Sharman Apt Russell, Perseus Publishing 2003
Golden Book of Butterflies — JF Gates Clark, Golden Press, NY 1963
Eastern Butterflies — Alexander B Klots, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston 1979
Monarch Butterfly — Gail Gibson, Holiday House Press, NY 1989