Miller Shares Butterfly Gardening Tips with Greenbelt

Master gardener Esther Miller could very well be a butterfly whisperer. For nearly a decade, she has expanded her vast knowledge of gardening subjects, including the exciting world of butterflies.

Little tricks, like combining host plants that can feed the larva and nectar plants to attract the adults, were some of the basic butterfly gardening skills that Miller covered in her "Butterfly Gardening" lecture Tuesday evening at the Greenbelt Public Library.

“Certain flowers will just provide nectar, but others need to feed the caterpillars,” Miller said. “Anything in the milkweed family, for example, the monarch will gravitate towards to lay their eggs.”

According to Miller, a common mistake of beginner butterfly gardeners is to panic when they see caterpillars turning their plants into a salad. However, that is the only way to create a haven for butterflies.

“The key is knowing the caterpillars. Once you know the caterpillars, you know what butterflies will be in your garden,” Miller said.

It usually takes around two to three weeks for a caterpillar to become a butterfly. During this time it takes different forms, including a chrysalis for a couple of days.

“If you go through your butterfly garden and pick off all the caterpillars, they will never get to be butterflies,” Miller said.

Another secret to success in butterfly gardening is separating birds from the garden, as much as possible.

“Keep your hummingbird thing and your bird sanctuary on the other side of the house,” she said with a chuckle.

Miller also showed various plans for butterfly gardens and compared the layouts.

“You usually put the tallest in the back and the shortest in the front,” Miller noted.

Master gardeners who lecture will often go through extensive training prior to and while teaching.

If they go through the University of Maryland's standard training, master gardeners are required to complete 40 hours of volunteer service during their first year and 20 hours each year after that. They must also complete 10 hours of education annually.

“The best way to become knowledgeable is to teach a course,” said Miller with a laugh.

"Butterfly Gardening" was the first lecture in the spring and summer Gardening lecture series sponsored by The Prince George’s Country Memorial Library System and the Master Gardeners of Prince George’s County.

The next lecture in the series is titled "Herbs to Grow and Cook." It will be held on Saturday, May 11, at 11 a.m. at the Greenbelt Public Library.