Here is an interesting little video of 2 mins, 53 secs where Master Gardener and butterfly enthusiast Reba Cummings gives you a rapid lesson in butterfly husbandry. First of all, plant the right kind of host plants in your garden. For instance, Fritillaries like the Passion Vine (eating the buds and living there) while Swallowtails like Bronze Fennel or Parsley. That’s where the butterflies will come and lay their eggs, where the caterpillars will hatch, where the chrysalises will attach themselves and the butterflies emerge…. if they survive the wasps and lizards, that is. THERE IS A WAY TO RESCUE CATERPILLARS! You keep them in a PVC and netting “cage” where the chrysalis forms and the butterflies emerge. The fun part is releasing the butterflies into the garden to repeat the cycle.
