Garden Gnomes & Butterflies

Gnome History

• Gnome figurines have been available for centuries, and gnomes are often written about in German literature. Known by a number of different names throughout the world, gnomes are famous for protecting a garden at night or watching over livestock and crops. Kuba-Walda is the ancient German word for gnome, meaning "home administrator." Most gnomes are depicted as male and are said to live deep underground, guarding buried treasure. In Iceland, roads have been re-routed around areas said to be inhabited by gnomes.

Gnome Facts

• Male gnomes are roughly 38 inches high, live for 400 years, sprout beards at an early age, and are seven times stronger than humans are. Known for their brightly colored clothing, gnomes sport pointy red hats, blue or green shirts and rounded dark leather shoes. When placed throughout a garden, gnomes of various heights are found posing thoughtfully, smoking pipes, hiding under toadstools or holding wheelbarrows. Female gnomes wear colors that blend with the surroundings and tend to stay close to home, making most garden gnomes little gnarly men that keep a watchful eye over nature.

Butterflies in the Garden

• Attracting butterflies to a garden is easy with the right mix of nectar and host plants. Butterflies enjoy sunny, open areas but also require protection from high winds. Plant fragrant nectar-bearing blooms in groups and look for plants that bloom in sequence throughout the season to ensure butterflies stay all summer. Butterfly favorites include butterfly bush, bee balm, lilac and sunflower. Include host plants in the garden to encourage the ongoing life cycle. Female butterflies lay eggs on host plants like milkweed, dill and parsley, which the young caterpillars then feed on before beginning their transition to adulthood.

Butterfly Houses

• Butterfly houses are common sights at garden centers and birding stores. Similar in appearance to birdhouses, butterfly houses have vertical slits as openings, rather than the round entry hole of a birdhouse. Most come equipped with an opening to allow for the placement of twigs for the butterfly to hold or rest on. Unfortunately, for those hoping for butterflies to move in, the houses are not what attracts the butterflies to the garden, and they prefer their tried and true locations when the time comes to consider hibernation. As a result, a butterfly house often ends up providing protection for other beneficial summer insects, offers a garden added decoration and visual interest, and provides gnomes with one more home to watch over.