For anyone who has driven by the Coral Gables Library and wondered what in the world was going on with that very barren look to the grounds -- look again. The butterfly has emerged from its chrysalis.

As part of the Gables' year-long 75th anniversary celebration, the Coral Gables Garden Club conducted a butterfly release and people get-together on Saturday, May 20, to "experience" its magnificent, new butterfly garden at Coral Gables Library.

Amid greetings from the mayor and several city commissioners, civic leaders, and Garden Club members who made the event possible, dozens of volunteers joined in the festivities and did their horticultural duty.

Armed with trowels and shovels from home, parents and kids proudly got down on their knees and planted the few remaining shrubs that needed to go into the garden. It helped the community feel like it had a real hand in the project.

"Like my grandmother used to say, 'Many hands make light work,'" said Linda Lawrence, chair of the Butterfly Garden Committee for the Coral Gables Garden Club. "Now we've got the community coming together to plant the final plants. The community is also donating the 'hard' landscaping features. There are commitments for nine benches in the park at $600 each. People are donating them in memory of family members."

Indeed it felt like a family get-together. Looking out over a sea of eager little faces, members of the Coral Gables Garden Club carefully handed out little envelopes with live butterflies inside.

With their parents' help, the kids put down their shovels and opened the envelopes for the highlight of the event. Butterflies suddenly appeared everywhere with 75 releases.

Just how far does the garden extend?

"This butterfly garden is big. It will cover almost the entire grounds," said Dan Keys, director of Public Service for the city.

Completion of the planting will be finished by fall.

Lawrence added, "This garden is part of a chain of a lot of people who made this happen...the Coral Gables Garden Club who donated the plants and the idea. And with Dan Keys and the cooperation of the City of Coral Gables...it's been all one grand effort. It wouldn't have happened, if we didn't have the good cooperation from Mayor [Raul] Valdes-Fauli."

Lawrence explained that the library grounds had been falling into disrepair, and everyone involved was trying for the same goal -- to make it a centerpiece of "The City Beautiful."

The butterfly garden was sponsored by the Coral Gables Garden Club, Coral Gables Library Advisory Board, the Coral Gables Beautification Committee, and the City of Coral Gables, all working together.
Lawrence put out the call for anyone who would like to contribute in some way to the garden.

"We're hoping that we can do a piece of public art. We're hoping for a large caste bronze butterfly on top of a pole. It could be a marker for people driving by and saying, 'what is it?' Then they would know what this garden was about," she said.

There will be a butterfly plant list in the library for anyone who would like to find out how to start their own butterfly garden. "You know that saying, 'If you build it, they will come?' If you put the plants in, the but terflies will come." Lawrence said.

For those interested in donating anything to the garden, call Linda Lawrence at 305-447-1106 or Dan Keys at 305-460-5130. The library is located at 3443 Segovia.