What’s a butterfly garden without butterflies?

Taken at face value, the line is a rhetorical reminder that a thing’s name, design, or outward trappings don’t guarantee its reality. A “butterfly garden” implies a living ecosystem—plants, seasons, and above all the presence of butterflies—so a garden without them becomes a hollow label, a display missing its essential purpose. More broadly, it can be read as a critique of appearances without substance: institutions without the people they serve, celebrations without joy, ideals without practice. The question form sharpens the point by inviting the listener to supply the obvious answer: without its defining life, the garden is only scenery.