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Beating a Dead Horse to Hamburger

© Gregg Pasterick

Last year I wrote about an urban gardener in Roses are Red; Violets Aren't... who didn't know that violets came in white and yellow. She clearly knew a thing or two about gardening, if her yard was any indication, but her knowledge was all wrapped up in ornamentals. She knew nothing of native species or butterfly gardening or why weeds aren't weeds at all. The thought of white violets left her mute and clearly went against her religious beliefs.

Recently it happened again, here at the inn in Colorado. I got into a conversation with a guest about gardening, which was very refreshing because most of our guests are boring businesspersons who can't see any further than the end of their careers. I steered the conversation into a direction meant to test her; was she a weekend flower waterer, or did she know her stuff? Well, she knew her stuff and impressively so. When the conversation turned to butterfly gardening she kept pace, but then Common Milkweed got mentioned, and she turned south on me.

This lady - this gardener - clearly knew what she was doing out there, in the soil. She even knew some of the Latin names, for crissakes! But Common Milkweed was a weed she preferred not grow anywhere near her property. It was, of course, my moral obligation to show her the error of her ways.

And since I am up here, on my high horse, which is ironic given the title of this article, I'm gonna wag my finger just a little bit, just one more time ... or until the next time.

Gardening is a grand and glorious adventure, and I can't think of a better way to learn about the environment. Filling the yard with ornamentals is like Van Gogh splashing bold brushstrokes of color across a canvas, and many of these non-native beauties do provide a nectar source for butterflies - back in Ohio you could always find several potted Lantanas scattered about, providing color and nectar. But focusing on native species contributes to the health of your local environment, and encourages wildlife to visit your yard.

Lots and lots of native species are (obviously) nectar sources for butterflies. Clovers and sunflowers and goldenrods, species which are nearly universal, are excellent nectar sources, and of course species specific to your region, like Coyote Mint in California, or Few-leaved Milkweed down along the Gulf Coast are great splashes of color in the garden as well as a sip of nectar to a butterfly. But gardening with native species is only half of a finger-wag. The important part, the part that got me started on this, is gardening with host plants.

butterflies on Common Milkweed

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