Butterfly gardens gain popularity in Napa

Looking like flecks of paint rising from an artists canvas to seek freedom in flight, butterflies personify beauty and hope as well as an indescribable lightness of being.

Butterflies fascinate people. Learning about their life cycle is a rite of passage for children throughout the world, as evidenced by the popularity of the childrens book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written by Eric Carle. Chronicling the changes a caterpillar goes through on its way to becoming a glorious butterfly, this book has sold more than 38 million copies and has been translated into 58 languages since it was published in 1969.

Now, after years of delighting humans by giving us a glimpse into a world of visual enchantment, these beautiful pollinators need our help. Their natural habitat is shrinking as buildings and roads replace forests and meadows. In addition, plants necessary for their survival are less plentiful.

Around the world, people who appreciate these winged creatures can assist them by providing butterfly gardens that include blooming flowers, resting places and garden damp spots.

Butterfly gardens are becoming popular in Napa, according to Van Winden Nursery Manager Becky Horne. People enjoy the same colorful plants butterflies need, so it is easy to attract them into a yard.

Van Winden Nursery sells Milkweed plant, critical to Monarch butterflies, during late spring and in the summer, Horne said.

Butterflies like many kinds of flowers, but they are especially drawn to umbel shaped flowers, Horne explained.

My mother-in-law always called Scabiosa, also known as Pin Cushions, the landing pads for butterflies, Horne continued. They like the shape of this form of flower that is very flatyarrow and Queen Anne s lace are, too.

Locally, Penny Pawl and Pat Orr, both master gardeners, are at the forefront of protecting butterflies.

Pawl first planted Milkweed the only plant Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on in her yard, 25 years ago. For two years, she didnt see an egg or caterpillar on her plants, although she checked nearly every day. Then, when she needed a life affirming message most, the butterflies came.

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Butterfly gardens gain popularity in Napa