Summer brings one of my favorite sights in the pollinator garden: butterflies. Monarchs, swallowtails, and smaller butterfly species often drift through the garden during warm afternoons. They pause on flowers briefly before moving on to the next bloom.
Butterflies rely on both nectar plants and host plants during their lifecycle. Milkweed, for example, provides the only food source for monarch caterpillars. Watching butterflies move through the garden always reminds me how important these plants are for supporting wildlife.
The slow movement of butterflies across the garden feels almost peaceful compared to the faster activity of bees. Summer afternoons in my prairie garden are full of moments like this.