Spring, 2001 

The winner of  our latest drawing for a set of butterfly & flower cookie cutters 

is Kassidy Briles of Iowa.

R.B. Dance is known as one of America's premier nautical artists. Robert B. Dance is also renowned for his landscapes and still lifes. His realist paintings are in the collections of numerous museums as well as private and corporate collections throughout the world. An artist's artist, he also writes about his work in publications  both here and abroad.

 

Much to the delight of butterfly enthusiasts, Dance has now added a wonderful set of prints entitled The Botanicals to his long list of accomplishments!  

 

The botanical watercolors were born as a result of Dance's personal experience. When Robert's first wife, Carolyn, became ill with multiple sclerosis, he set aside his art to care for her.  During this time, he found gardening a satisfying way to get away from everything.  

The Botanicals Set  features flowers that he has grown from seed.  Birds and butterflies have been added to enliven them.  Robert's knowledge of birds and butterflies is apparent in the watercolors.  He is fascinated with their aerodynamics and has spent a great deal of time observing and studying them.  

In honor of Carolyn's memory, he donates a percentage of proceeds from the sales of each set of botanical prints to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Dance later remarried, and he and his wife Coleman, also an artist, enjoy gardening.  

To view or order The Botanicals, please click here.  

The Cure for Spring Fever

and Cabin Fever

Depending on your location, you may be experiencing one or the other.  Either way, a trip to a butterfly house is the answer. I've collected a list of butterfly houses around the US, with the help and input of some of my butterfly colleagues.  

If you've never been to a butterfly house exhibit, you're in for a definite treat!  Nowhere else can you see such a wide variety of species free flying around you.  Most butterfly houses feature brightly colored tropical species, but some specialize in locally native butterflies and may include spectacular moths as well. Both the morpho butterfly photo and the atlas moth photo were taken at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in St. Louise, MO.

Check out the list below to see if you're within driving distance of a butterfly exhibit. This is by no means an all inclusive list, and we will add to it over time.

Suggestion:  Try going during "off" times if possible.  The less crowded it is, the more time you'll have to wander and enjoy the sites.  

• The Hidden Jungle, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Escondido, CA  1-619-234-6541
• Butterfly Habitat, Marine World Africa USA, Vallejo, CA  1-707-644-4000

Colorado

• Western Colorado Botanical  Gardens, Grand Junction, CO  1-970-245-3288

Florida

• Butterfly World in Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek, FL  1-954-4400  e-mail gardens@butterflyworld.com
• Wings of Wonder in Cypress Gardens 1-800-282-2123
• Butterflies in Flight, Naples, FL 1-941-793-2359

Georgia

• Day Butterfly Center, Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA  1-706-861-2281

Kansas

• Botanica's Butterfly House, Wichita, KS  1-316-264-0448

Louisiana

• Butterflies in Flight, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, LA  1-504-861-2537

Massachusetts

• The Monarchy Butterfly Exhibit, Wilbraham, MA, reservations required  1-413-599-1285
• Magic Wings, South Deerfield, MA  413-665-2805
• The Butterfly Place, Westford, MA  1-978-392-0955

Michigan

• Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden, Detroit Zoo, 10810-398-0903
• Mackinac Island Butterfly House, Mackinac Island, MI  1-906-847-3972

• Wings of Mackinaw, Mackinaw City, MI  1-616-847-3972
• The Botany Greenhouse Butterfly House, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI   1-517-355-0229
• Frederik Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, MI  1-616-957-1580

Missouri

• Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, Chesterfield, St. Louis County, MO 
• The Butterfly Place, Branson, MO  1-417-332-2231 

North Carolina

• Magic Wings, NC Museum of LIfe & Science, Durham, NC  1-919-220-5429

New York

• The Butterfly Zone, Bronx Zoo, 1-718-367-1010

Ohio

• Tropical Butterfly Garden, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 1-216-661-6500
• Insectarium, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, 1-513-281-4701 ext. 8348

Pennsylvania

• Hershey Gardens Butterfly House, Hershey, PA

Texas

• Cockrell Butterfly Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science, 1-713-639-4629
• Rainforest Pyramid, Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX  10800-582-4673
• Le Chateau des Papillons at Scarborough Faire, www.butterflychateau.com

Utah

• Butterfly World, Utah's Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, UT  10801-582-1631

Get Ready to Garden!

For much of the country, gardening weather is just around the corner. Follow the suggestions below to attract an abundance of butterflies to your gardens this year.

Click here to visit Milkweed Cafe's Butterfly Gardening pages for recommended plant lists.

1. Include lots of purples, yellows, blues and whites when choosing  flowers.  These bloom colors usually attract the most nectaring butterflies. That's not to say that red and orange won't bring in some butterflies as well, though!  One of the most popular flowers in my gardens is the bright orange Tithonia, also called Mexican Sunflower.  
2. Plant flowers in large clumps.  Large areas of bloom will be most attractive to butterflies.
3. Don't forget the host plants. Female butterflies seek out specific plants on which they lay their eggs.  Their resulting caterpillars will continue the life cycle.  
4. Avoid pesticides! You'll get rid of some bugs you don't want, but you'll also get rid of butterfly caterpillars.  

Visit the Butterfly Shoppe for Milkweed Seeds for Monarchs and lots of new Butterfly Raising Kits!

The Family Butterfly Book by Rick Mikula is simply the best butterfly raising and butterfly gardening book I've found!  It includes so much information in such an easy-to-read format that it is ideal for both beginners and advanced butterfly folks. 

It also makes a wonderful birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, or housewarming gift.  

Click here to visit the Butterfly Shoppe for more details on the Family Butterfly Book. You will also find a FREE activity packet to download and print.  

New at Milkweed Cafe

• In the Club Caterpillar section, be sure to check out the electron microscope photos of butterflies.  
• New pastel and sparkle color choices have been added to our popular wedding and party favors.  Free Printing for favor box orders placed in March and April! Orders over $100.00 receive a free butterfly cookie cutter set.
• New favor styles are now available
• We've increased our selection of butterfly raising kits, and have everything from mini-kits to classroom size kits.  These new kits feature caterpillars for immediate shipment - no certificates to redeem.
• Butterfly & Flower Cookie Cutter Sets - Great for Spring & Summer Party Treats.  Instructions and sticks for making cookies on a stick are included!

Click here to register for our next prize drawing.

Our next winner will receive a free certificate to redeem for painted ladies caterpillars, food, and instructions.