Butterfly gardening is a step into a different dimension. It makes a garden part of the larger world, no longer isolated and alien to wild things. The garden can be as simple or as complex as one wishes to make it. To attract butterflies to the garden, brightly colored nectar plants are needed to feed the adults. To keep butterflies, host plants for the larvae (caterpillars) must be used.

Pentas lanceolata Deflers is a nectar plant, native to the eastern portion of tropical Africa and southern Arabia. It was originally named by George Bentham in the late 1800s, but the plant was not well-known until recently. Although, there are 34 species of Pentas, only one is regularly cultivated for its ability to attract butterflies. Cultivars of Pentas lanceolata come in a range of colors, but red appears to be the best butterfly attractor.

The Eastern Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) is a surprising animal. Male butterflies are generally yellow and black with spots of blue on the hind wing. Females may look similar to the male, but have more blue on the wings. (The photographed butterfly is a female.) Or the females may differ entirely mimicking the Pipevine Swallowtail, mostly black with blue hind wings and a few spots of yellow and red. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of a number of trees. When disturbed or threatened, the caterpillar distends its orange osmeterium (scent organ) which exudes an unpleasant odor.

Monica's garden rambles with large curved beds and dappled light. Even at the first of December, flowers and butterflies were everywhere. When pressed for the secret of a successful butterfly garden, she answered, "Plant Pentas."