And it's not as if growing and tending creatures is foreign to Payne. It just doesn't hurt when I get stepped on here. Not at all. Livestock here are native Texas butterflies. They live their short lives fluttering among carefully cultivated native plants, each plainly identified in the garden area behind the house.
Walkways connect the gardens, which are accented with a pond.
Payne's goal is to teach people the types of plants that attract butterflies and how they can turn their garden or yard into a butterfly haven. She ships butterflies by the dozens to release at weddings and other special events. Before shipping, each butterfly is hand-fed and exercised before being enclosed in an triangular envelope that fits the shape of the butterfly's wings. The envelopes are then packaged in a box and shipped overnight. The butterfly rests naturally in a state of dormancy until exposed to warmth and light.