The city gardener: The butterfly effect

Bees and butterflies, like these monarchs, are the world’s tiniest superheroes. PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK In Greek mythology, Atlas was condemned by Zeus to hold the Earth on his shoulders for all eternity, for the crime of leading his fellow Titans in a war against the Olympian gods. But the sentence had a practical purpose as well: holding the Earth aloft kept it from crashing down onto Heaven, destroying both realms. In an almost literal way, Atlas lives today – actually, countless tiny Atlases, in the form of butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects. By pollinating food crops, controlling harmful insects and giving us honey and other products, they perform the same world-saving function. And also like Atlas, they’re going through a lot right now. Global insect populations have been steadily declining for years, to the point that some species are now classed as critically endangered. Every farmer’s field, wetland or empty city lot that’s converted to a housing development or condo desert wipes out living populations, along with nesting or feeding sites for many more. Commercial insecticides and herbicides are a serious threat as well. And climate change, by simultaneously altering flower bloom times and insect emergence, upsets a balance that has existed for millennia. Creating a butterfly- and bee-friendly garden is an easy way to counter this alarming trend – and give a helping hand, however modest, to these authentically heroic little creatures. Many beneficial insects love full sun, so aspire to have at least part of your garden receive four to six hours per day. (But don’t feel left out if that’s not possible, as there are plenty of light-shade plants that attract them too.) Provide a water source, such as a birdbath (add stones if it’s more than an inch or two deep), a gently flowing fountain or waterfall, or a shallow pond. Ditch the chemical insecticide sprays and try non-chemical ways of controlling bad bugs. (Even Safer’s soap doesn’t discriminate between aphids and ladybugs; it’ll kill them all.) Same with herbicides, which can destroy beneficial plants that are food or habitat sources. Bags of mulch instruct you to cover your beds with a three-inch or deeper layer, but I typically use just an inch or two, and it works fine for me. Apparently, this is also good for insects that rest on the ground; small sections of bare earth are even better. What should you plant? Any Ontario native is a good choice, but there are others that…