I spent this past Saturday working at a “Pollination Celebration” held at the Panhandle Butterfly House. Located for over 20 years in Navarre, they’re now in the heart of downtown Milton, Florida. The facility is centered in a restored Craftsman home with classrooms, educational displays, and a gift shop. Around it are beautifully tended flower gardens, maintained by volunteers and sponsored by partnerships with Keep Santa Rosa Beautiful and Clean Up Santa Rosa. The property includes a network of nature trails through a wooded area adjacent to the Blackwater River.

The largest component is an 1,800 square foot butterfly vivarium; a greenhouse designed to serve as a haven for butterflies from the very beginning to completion of their life cycle. Docents guide visitors through the garden, pointing out caterpillars and the wide variety of adult butterflies. The Panhandle Butterfly House is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm, and by appointment. It is particularly popular with children and teachers on school field trips. Next year, they’ll celebrate 30 years in our community!

Butterfly gardens are easy to grow in your own backyard, as well. Local nurseries are full of colorful nectar-providing plants like pentas, salvia, and black-eyed Susans, along with herbs that serve as hosts for caterpillars. Passion vines have remarkable flowers that are easy to grow or transplant. Our statewide Florida-friendly landscaping program even has a butterfly gardening app to make it easy!

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