Gardening by Judith Adam Nothing loves a garden more than a butterfly. Their lifespan is variable – some live for less than a month, while others can remain for a year in your garden. They seldom rest, clinging to trees and shrubs only when drenched by rain or buffeted in stiff winds. Their agenda includes cruising for nectar-producing flowers, finding a suitable mate and locating appropriate plants on which to lay their eggs. Inadvertently, butterflies are helpful pollinators, moving pollen from one tree or plant to another and increasing human food crops. Uninvited but always welcome, the first of the season’s flutterers make an unexpectedly early spring appearance when leaf buds are beginning to open on bare branches. It’s unlikely timing for such delicate creatures, but butterflies are guided by instinct and demonstrate impressive grit as they persevere through the weather elements. The earliest butterfly which you’ll likely encounter is the North American Mourning Cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa), also known in Great Britain as the Camberwell Beauty or the White Petticoat. It unexpectedly appears in the first calendar days of spring, cruising over melting snow patches or settling on a sunny stone with wings spread four inches wide. This magnificent butterfly has impressive deep burgundy wings with a fancy yellow skirting and iridescent sapphire blue dots. When spotted in spring, it is already a year old, having wintered under loose tree bark or in crevices. It feeds on running tree sap, ripe or fallen fruits and secretions from garden aphids. The Mourning Cloak male is polymorphous, mating with as many females as possible. He will select a favourable site for attracting potential mates and is prepared to rigorously defend the location against other males with similar intentions. The Small White butterfly (Pieris rapae) is best known as the Cabbage White and is sure to be found in any garden-growing space. They appear in the first warm days of spring and stay around through early autumn. Though tiny, Cabbage Whites Winged Beauties After a long winter, the butterflies of spring and summer are already on the wing, returning from their winter sojourn and headed your way. Providing key plants to suit their appetites ensures that you’ll have these beauties with you all season. But first, do you know your butterflies and when to expect them? Beautiful flyers arriving early and late Cabbage White (Female) 44 | www.snowbirds.org
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