Every year the Horticulture building at our Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck is completely transformed to an indoor oasis for the fairgoers. Local landscapers and florists donate their time and talent to creating a mixed garden of all sort of spaces to enjoy; whatever their whim to that year’s theme, which this time was “Inspired by Nature”. I always try to create something using found & recycled things, and a display that also delivers a little message of awareness. So, this year I chose the monarch butterfly as my subject; creating a meadow garden as I thought a butterfly might love.
The Concern For Butterflies
Like much of our wildlife; it’s becoming difficult for monarchs too. Between development, farming, and chemical use; they are losing their areas and their all important, milkweed plants. Milkweed is to them as eucalyptus is to the koala bear, only more. More than ¾ of all flowering plants and over 1/3 of our food crops depend on butterflies, bees, and many other pollinators for fertilization.
The Flower Display & Show
Surrounding a secret fountain, I combined asclepsia (butterfly flower) along with larkspur, snapdragons, cattails, and a hoard of grasses and fuzzy millets & herbs. Accented with a life-size, sign with assorted directions for the 50 butterflies I added.
Thursday evening in the live, design show; I decided to carry through the theme by creating human size butterfly bouquets for giveaway. Everyone loves wildflower bouquets and butterflies! I was awarded the blue ribbon for my display with kudos for the message it brought, but what really made it special was the amount of butterfly info flyers taken. Meaning the signs were read and someone, somewhere is going to have a butterfly waystation and maybe plant some milkweed. Or at least, won’t cut it down next year. Now that is the real award and reward for me.
Butterfly Info
Watch for the monarchs in our area this autumn when they start their massive migration. Our lattitude is 41 degrees so the migration should start this coming weekend if the weather turns cooler.
I have dedicated one of the store windows to monarchs with all things butterfly that you will just love; click here to send one of our signature butterfly arrangements.
Visit MonarchWatch.org for everything you ever wanted to know about monarchs and how to create your own little, waystation.
One of my secret, favorite, places locally is the Rainbows End Butterfly Farm in Pawling, NY; a wonderful compound where you can walk among the butterflies yourself. Walking with butterflies; is one of the better things in life that actually doesn’t cost or require a wing and a prayer. A great deal
Be uplifted, Lynn