Roper Mountain Science Center Butterfly Garden

Consider the butterfly. Shifting from caterpillar to cocoon and emerging with folded wet wings on leaf or flower head, it's a symbol of change and possibility. And though the robin's rosy puff of feathers is a more traditional harbinger of spring, I like to think that the butterfly could just as easily represent that season of renewal.

It is fairly simple to turn your backyard garden into a butterfly habitat; just a matter of the right plantings and a good amount of sunlight. But if you aren't so inclined to install such a haven yourself, or if time has proven that you've a black instead of green thumb, fear not. You can still enjoy the butterflies – you just have to know where to look.

Greenville's got a gem of a butterfly garden tucked away behind the gates of the Roper Mountain Science Center. Just off I-385's Roper Mountain Road exit, you'll find this facility of the School District of Greenville County. While it's true that the center's primary visitors are schoolchildren who participate in programs that cover all areas of science, the general public is admitted during the week, between the hours of 8:30am and 5pm. The best part? It's free!

Once you're on the grounds, paths are clearly marked to guide you to the various destination gardens, which include the Water Lily Pond and the Kitchen Garden. The latter is an herb garden beside the main cabin of the Living History Farm and features plants for fragrance, medicine, and culinary uses. The center notes that the plantings here include some heirloom varieties grown in the early 1800s.

The Butterfly Garden is located near the pond, adjacent to the Hall of Natural Science and Technology. Many hands have labored to bring this sunny spot to bear, including the Roper Mountain Science Center, the Roper Mountain Science Center Association, and the Greater Greenville Master Gardeners, and it shows.

Set on a rise and marked by a rustic wooden sign atop an arch laden with swags of fragrant vines, beds filled with glossy foliage and colorful blooms stretch out in a fan. A babbling creek runs through, and if you look closely you'll be rewarded with the silver or gold flash of a koi's sleek back as it navigates the shallows. Butterflies enjoy the splash too, for much-needed "puddling," in which they sip water to ingest dissolved minerals.

The drone of fat, happy bees fills the air for they too are particularly drawn to the nectar of cleome, lavender, echinacea, and Russian sage. A neat feature of the garden's plantings is that they are not just nectar providers. Here you'll also notice the more important "host" plants that feed the caterpillars, such as the feathery fronds of fennel and thick leaves of parsley, as well as tall spires of hollyhock and mallow. Tiger swallowtails are particularly partial to trees, and this garden boasts the right kind for these brilliant yellow-and-black beauties.

The garden also offers butterflies protection from the wind and exposed rocks where they can alight and rest while soaking up the sun. A picnic shelter is also nearby, so if you're in the neighborhood, pack a picnic lunch (or stop by Strossner's Bakery across the road), find yourself a seat, and consider the butterflies as they dip, swirl, and work to pollinate the flowers for next year. It will be an experience that's rich in restorative powers but won't cost you a thing.