For several years now, I have been raising monarchs – as well as other butterflies and moths. I cannot lie, what began as a curiosity has now turned into a full-blown obsession. Living in the cool, northern climate of Wisconsin, I really only get to enjoy these butterflies flitting around the garden for a few short months. So, from spring to late summer, I pay attention to butterfly activity and hunt for eggs and caterpillars to rear in safe, sanitized enclosures. Every day of the short summer, I check in with my captive brood, ensuring they have ample fresh host plants to eat and proper moisture. Some days I feel like all I do is search for food and clean frass, but other days I get to take part in the magical moments of a brand new butterfly emerging from its chrysalis and taking its first flight.
When autumn comes and I release my last few butterflies, I feel a true sadness, knowing I won’t be seeing any for months. A couple years ago, after releasing my last butterflies of the summer, I came across a large wooden monarch butterfly at an estate sale. I bought it, took it home and hung it on my dining room wall. Now I can look at a beautiful monarch butterfly even on the coldest, darkest days of winter. Today, aptly named the butterfly wall because it’s covered with a variety of butterfly pictures and knick-knacks given to me by family and friends who know of my passion for butterflies, this collection brings a smile to my face year round.
If you have a butterfly lover in your life, he or she will no doubt love to receive gifts of these graceful winged creatures too. Fortunately, there is a huge variety of gifts with butterfly motifs. Besides just wall décor or knick-knacks, a butterfly lover may enjoy butterfly jewelry, such as pendants or rings; butterfly stationery sets; butterfly coffee mugs; butterfly throws or quilts; or even butterfly bathroom accessories, such as shower curtains or towels. Gifts like this can help a butterfly lover enjoy their grace and beauty inside, as well as outdoors.
Those of us who garden for and/or raise butterflies may enjoy gifts that help us attract them to the garden or care for them as well. These gifts can include books about butterflies or butterfly gardening, butterfly garden décor, butterfly houses, butterfly baths, butterfly seed packets or seed balls of butterfly plants. They can even be live plants that attract butterflies. For gardeners who raise butterflies, gifts may include mesh pop-up butterfly habits or other rearing equipment.
Regardless of what you buy the butterfly lover in your life, you can accent these gifts with the perfect butterfly card from Tilia Press. Their beautiful Meet the Monarchs cards are especially nice for those of us that raise these wonderful butterflies. The Monarch Butterfly Notepad, for example, is great for all manner of things but may even be useful for jotting down day-day notes in monarch raising activities. And you can find butterfly cards for all occasions too, including birthdays, Mother’s Day and other holidays, or even blank note cards. You can also order a set of monarch inspired thank you cards to show your appreciation for the lovely gifts you’ve been given.
