Beauty Flutters By

Fragile butterflies and ferocious football players have one thing in common.

They both love Gatorade.

The same sweet substance that helps hydrate athletes also provides sustenance to the butterflies that flit around the butterfly house at Perrault Nurseries, 4 Carroll Road, North Grafton.

Every spring, the nursery opens its butterfly house to the public. People are invited to stroll through, take pictures and inhale the quiet beauty of plants and ponds with a backdrop of butterflies flying through the house.

This spring's butterflies are monarchs and painted ladies. 

The butterflies arrive at the nursery on ice from Federal Express, nursery manager Mary Russell said. They are then released into the garden both to engage visitors and to create the life cycle to produce more butterflies.

The butterflies lay eggs, which result in caterpillars. In time, these caterpillars transform into pupas. Butterflies then emerge.

And the children, especially, are delighted, Russell said.

“I think it’s the color and the wings’’ that enchant the children, she said. “They’re not scary bugs like spiders. The kids are like, Oh, butterflies. They want them to land on them. It’s something different for the kids.’’

All ages are encouraged to visit. The butterfly house is open during operating hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Want to learn how to attract butterflies to your garden? Check back tomorrow for some helpful tips.