Butterfly Garden
Ages 4 and up (several 30-45 minute sessions)
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Objectives:
- To learn about butterflies and attract them to our garden.
Materials:
- Books about butterflies and gardening for butterflies
- Selected plants (e.g. Bee Balm, Globe Thistle, Perennial Sunflower, Veronica, Shasta Daisy, Purple Cone Flower, Black-eyed Susan, Verbena, French Marigolds, Liatris, Petunias, Yarrow, and Butterfly Weed)
- Shovels and plant labels
Set up:
Choose a site for the butterfly garden that is sunny and sheltered from wind. Watch butterflies in any nearby open space, noting the flowers they visit. Typically, butterflies are attracted to plants with purple and pink flowers and hummingbirds like red flowers. (A good reference book on butterfly gardens will give you a list of butterflies found in your region and plants they are attracted to). Design the garden or guide children to create a design using selected plants. Prepare the garden site and acquire or grow the plants selected.
Part One:
Introduce the children to the topic of butterflies by reading books and researching butterflies found in your area. If possible, raise a butterfly with the children. They will enjoy watching the process of metamorphosis from caterpillar, pupa to adult butterfly. Monarchs work well for this and are easy to find on milkweed plants. Have the children draw pictures, and speculate on how many days it will take the butterfly to emerge. Talk about planting a garden that will attract butterflies.
Part Two:
To plant the garden, follow directions from planting the garden activity. After the planting is complete, sink a shallow dish in the soil to create a water source. Place it in a sunny spot. It will help attract butterflies that enjoy drinking from mud puddles. A couple of plastic wine glasses with pieces of fruit in them placed strategically among the plants will attract the butterflies that feed on fruit and lay their eggs in flowers. Apply a layer of mulch to reduce the need for frequent irrigation and weeding.
Questions to ask:
How can we attract butterflies to the garden?
Why are butterflies attracted to mud puddles?
Did you know that by drinking from mud puddles, butterflies obtain needed salts?
What is a butterfly baby called?
What does it do to plant leaves?
Do butterflies have the same kind of mouthparts as their babies?
A good reference book:
Butterfly Gardens, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc. 1995.
