The Butterfly Meadow

There is a lively buzz and hum in the meadow behind the StadtPalais. In just a few days, the well-tended green lawn has been transformed into a wild paradise for butterflies, bees and other insects. The meadow is now called ‘Hermann’s Butterfly Meadow’. But who exactly is Hermann?
Hermann is the large, bright pink butterfly that sits enthroned in the middle of the meadow. From 26 September 2020, he will accompany visitors through the escape exhibition “Stuttgart in Lost Time”, which we at VISUELL are designing.
To help everyone get into the spirit of the butterfly theme in advance, I was asked to design various wooden signs for the meadow. On these signs, Hermann’s friends – that is, different species of butterfly – introduce themselves. In the process, I learnt quite a bit about these colourful creatures that I didn’t know before.
Not all butterflies are the same. Of course, they differ in fairly obvious characteristics such as size, shape and colour. But beyond that, there are many differences between the species. Some butterflies prefer the warmth, whilst others prefer to stay in cooler areas. So-called ‘migratory butterflies’ even spend the winter in the warm south. However, there are other tactics for escaping the winter, such as hibernating in an attic.
These clever fluttering creatures also have many creative ideas for hiding from predators. The peacock butterfly protects itself from its predators using an optical illusion. When this beautiful butterfly unfolds its wings, the large eye-like spots become visible. To its enemies, the spots look like the eyes of a large animal.
And when it comes to choosing nectar, many a butterfly is particular and feeds exclusively on its ‘favourite food’. Way out in front is the butterfly bush, also known as buddleia. But thistles are also very popular. So if you’d like to enjoy these beautiful creatures in your own garden, you should definitely bear this in mind for your next visit to the garden centre. It’s well worth it!

Aline Wißmann