A Petite School Butterfly Garden

Another project I was working on recently was installing a small butterfly garden at my children's school garden. We had a limited budget and small space but lots of enthusiasm!

Here is the space before... lots of weeds and too much shade. However, there was one existing milkweed plant. It always amazes me how they manage to grow in less than ideal circumstances.

The children helped clear the area of debris and weeds. We added nectar (zinnias, marigolds, pentas) and host plants (milkweed and parsley), mulch, and bricks for edging. Some of the milkweed plants were transferred from other parts of the garden where they had just popped up.

The children were so eager to work in the garden - it was impressive. And they were so excited to find caterpillars in the garden just two weeks later. Success!

Looking for caterpillars

Our Kitchen Garden Part IV

Ok, I know that June is not the typical time of the year to start your vegetable garden in 9B. But I was not going to let my new raised beds sit empty until the Fall planting season - that would be torture! So I tried to plant things that would hopefully tolerate the heat and bugs.

I planted lots of herbs: Italian, purple, and mini boxwood basils, oregano, thyme, common and chocolate mint, flat leaf parsley, rosemary, and sage.

I also planted my favorite vegetables: tomatoes (Mortgage Lifter, Celebrity, Purple Cherokee, and Sweet 'N' Neat), eggplants (Black Beauty and Japanese), peppers (Thai Long Sweet Peppers), collards (Georgia Southern),  bush beans (Dragon Tongue and Royalty Purple Pod), and zucchini.

The zucchini did not do well - too much rain brought on powdery mildew. I tried spraying it with diluted skim milk which helped. However, it became a big battle and I decided planting it was just not a good idea. The Italian and purple basils are hanging in there. I'm getting enough to enhance my sauces and sandwiches but not enough for pesto. Surprisingly, the boxwood basil is thriving in the heat and attracting lots of bees. The rest of the herbs are growing nicely. I have picked some Celebrity, Purple Cherokee and Sweet 'n' Neat tomatoes. No mortgage lifters yet. The collards are coming along but getting chewed on by something that I can't see. The peppers are growing slowly but surely. I had to replant those seeds because I planted them too deep the first time. The bean plants are flowering but no beans yet. The Black Beauty eggplants have not set fruit -  it may be too hot. The Japanese eggplants are  prolific and we have enjoyed many eggplants for dinner.

Lastly, our large pot arrived and Allison planted blueberries in it. She also lined the back fence with raspberry plants.

As you can imagine, I have been very busy with the vegetable garden but enjoying every minute of it! I'm already thinking about the next vegetable season!

More Summer Snapshots!

I found this chubby caterpillar crawling up the milkweed this morning. Maybe he was looking for a good place to spin his chrysalis?

Monarch caterpillar

This Monarch butterfly stayed still for this photo longer than I expected. Monarchs really enjoy sipping the nectar from our Butterfly Bush.

Monarch on Butterfly Bush

My dear friend Donna (who is a wonderful photographer!) sent me this beautiful shot from her garden. Purple coneflowers are one of my favorite nectar plants. The bees like them too!

Donna Williams Photography

Our Kitchen Garden Part III

We added a stone path that leads from our back porch to the garden. This is one of my favorite design aspects of the garden. I enjoy watching the kids skip along the path on their way to the garden.

Then Allison's crew planted boxwood around the perimeter of the raised beds. I thought this would soften the look and I've always admired boxwood hedges. 

The electrical outlet is now behind the fountain.

Edging was installed to define the garden space. It also keeps the gravel in and the grass out.

Next up:  what I planted!

Update: Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

I recently posted a photo of some Black Swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley in our kitchen garden. Look at them now!

The host plants for Black Swallowtails include parsley, dill, fennel, carrots, and Queen Anne's lace.

Our Kitchen Garden Part II

Allison's crew continued to build our raised beds and filled them with compost, peat moss, and vermiculite.

The electrical outlet began to stick out like a sore thumb so I requested that the electrician move it somewhere less obvious. Our fountain arrived... I loved it even more when I saw it in person. It's color and style go well with the design of our Mediterranean home. And the sound of the water flowing is so calming. Our neighbor directly behind us said he enjoys listening to it while he has his coffee on the back porch in the morning. The benches were also added to the raised beds. I thought this made the garden a little more formal and allowed for places to sit. Pea gravel was placed over the landscape fabric as well.

I purchased this Meyer Lemon tree at the Leu Gardens plant sale last year (a great place to buy citrus trees by the way). We used to live in the San Francisco area and I've always remembered the lemon trees covered with fruit. We never had to buy lemons back then. I could not decide where to plant it in the yard so it was in a large pot on the back porch. It had just about outgrew the pot so Allison helped me decide where to plant it. It is now located on the right side of our backyard in front of the kitchen garden. I think it makes a nice specimen tree next to the kitchen garden and contributes to the overall feel I was going for. It also attracts bees when it is in bloom and boy, do those lemon blossoms smell good when I walk outside!

Summer Snapshots!

In the garden today...

Gulf Fritillary on purple Vinca

Young Black Swallowtail caterpillars (3) on parsley
in the kitchen garden. I need to plant more parsley!

Our Kitchen Garden Part 1

In addition to butterfly gardening, I enjoy growing vegetables. I have been busy with a new project over the past month, our new kitchen garden. I've been reading about kitchen gardens for years and saving photos and ideas. So I definitely had a vision for this garden. After observing how the sunlight hits our yard and consulting with Allison Palmer of Palmer's Garden & Goods, we finally decided on a location in our backyard.

An electrical outlet for the fountain was installed first. Then the existing grass was removed.

I wanted raised beds with benches (that were not too high for my 4 year old son to reach), pea gravel, and boxwood. I also wanted to retain enough green space for our three dogs. Allison proposed a water feature and stepping stones that lead from our house to the garden. 

Allison's crew installed landscape fabric over the garden space and quickly began building the raised beds.

More to come! :-)

My Butterfly Birthday Sweater

We had  a week of serious rain here in 9B last week. Then on my birthday last Friday, the rain stopped and the sun broke through. Now my butterfly garden is teeming with flowers and tiny caterpillars.  I can't wait to see everything grow! As they say, "April showers bring May flowers."

I received the perfect sweater for my birthday and I thought I'd share it with you Monarch lovers out there. It's called the Stripe Monarch sweater...

Here's a fun one for you :-) ...

Yay! We are Monarch Waystation 6425!

There was a recent story on NPR's Science Friday about the serious decline of the Monarch population.  Dr. Lincoln Brower, a biologist,  was interviewed about this sad news and he encouraged listeners to plant more milkweed! You can play an active role in this by planting a Monarch Waystation. By planting milkweed, you can help sustain Monarchs during their incredible migration.

We have been working towards getting our butterfly garden certified as a Monarch Waystation and we finally did it! Here is our sign hanging proudly in the garden.

You can learn more about working towards and certifying your butterfly garden here. It can be a small garden or a large garden - just plant milkweed!!

Please let me know if you have any questions about establishing your Monarch Waystation! I'm happy to help!

Snapshots!

I have been busy with several gardening projects this week but I wanted to share a few quick pics with you from the garden today. Temperatures have been staying in the 80s around here so I have seen more butterfly activity in the garden recently.

Monarch with Tropical Milkweed and Giant Milkweed

Monarch caterpillar  - he helped me teach a butterfly class to 3 year olds this week!

Butterfly Gardening Class

Zebra Longwing by Just chaos via Flickr

Our local extension office is hosting a Butterfly Gardening class this week. Topics include the essential elements of a butterfly garden, common Florida butterflies, plants for adults and caterpillars, and planting design. Class will also include a tour of the extension center's own butterfly garden! This class is on Tuesday, April 16, 3013 from 9a-10:30a at the Orange County Extension Education Center. You can pre-register here.

Places: South Seas Island Resort Butterfly Garden

Just back from Spring Break with my family in Captiva Island, Florida. What a beautiful place... aqua water, white sand beaches laden with shells, and fresh seafood. Needless to say, it was so hard to leave!

Gulf of Mexico

As part of South Seas' ScoutAbout program, they have a colorful butterfly garden. The weather was cool by South Florida standards, so I didn't see many butterflies flying about. However, the garden was lush and full of blooms.

Tropical Milkweed, Giant Milkweed, Daisies, Lantana, Pentas, Firespike, Salvia, Clusia

I find the Tropical Milkweed more dramatic en masse...

More Tropical Milkweed

Short milkweed in front & tall milkweed towards the back

Each ScoutAbout Point of Discovery provides educational information about local flora and wildlife. My children really enjoyed exploring the resort in search of these and collecting bracelets along the way. It was a big adventure!

Mini Butterfly Garden Valentine's Day Gift

How about this mini butterfly garden for Valentine's Day? I spotted it at Whole Foods and it's filled with parsley, dill, and fennel. These are all host plants for the Black Swallowtail butterfly. XOXO!

Butterfly Life Cycle Models

Sometimes I give talks in our community about butterfly gardening. I especially love talking to children about the life cycle of butterflies. They are always so curious and eager to learn about "bugs." I found this fun teaching tool for my next presentation at the Butterfly Rainforest's gift shop.

I always try to bring live caterpillars to my presentations but occasionally they are still too small or just not available. These models will will be fun for the children to touch and explore!  You can find them online here.

Monarch Butterflies Booklet

I picked up this great booklet, Monarch Butterflies, at our recent trip to the Butterfly Rainforest. It is very informative and so pretty to look at! One side provides lots of information about Monarchs and the importance of milkweeds. I especially like how they highlight Florida's native milkweeds. The other side has many photos of caterpillars and their respective host plants.

This is so great... you can download your copy here (side 1) and here (side 2)! Enjoy!

The Owl Butterfly

We saw one of my favorite butterflies, the Owl Butterfly, during our recent visit to the Florida Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Rainforest. It is a large butterfly that grows up to 8 inches and has huge eye spots resembling owls' eyes on its wings.  It is native to Central and South America.

Owl Butterfly by Greaterumbrage via Flickr

I learned some new facts about these butterflies from the lepidopterist at the butterfly rainforest.  There were many Blue Morpho butterflies flying about and the underside of their wings looks quite similar to the Owl Butterfly. The difference is the Owl Butterfly has one "eye" while the Blue Morpho has several "eyes." 

Blue Morpho by Armando Maynez via Flickr

Another fact I learned is there are nocturnal, diurnal, and crepuscular butterflies. The Owl Butterfly is crepuscular, meaning it is most active during twilight. Now there is an SAT word for you!

Places: Florida Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Rainforest

I have visited many butterfly gardens and my all time favorite is one not too far from our home. It is the Florida Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville, Florida. We lived in Gainesville for several years while my husband and I worked at the university there. This garden was and still is one of my favorite places. We took a trip up there this weekend...

Entrance to the Butterfly Rainforest

Lush vegetation, water features, koi, turtles, birds, and LOTS of butterflies!

The Butterfly Rainforest has an amazing variety and number (1000) of butterflies!

My little guy "reading" the butterfly and plant identification guide (yes, it is upside down!)

Blue Morpho

Nymph, Tree in Pentas

Nymph, Tree

This one was tough to identify, maybe a Tiger-Mimic, Queen? 

Malachite -one of my favorites!

Butterfly Feeding Station

Beautiful Bromeliads

More Bromeliads

Angel Trumpet

Butterfly releases everyday

You can watch the lepidopterists care for the chrysalises and butterflies in this laboratory.

Families: I saw a sign stating that students who receive an 'A' or 'E' (i'm assuming 'E' means excellent?) grade in science can receive free admission (with the purchase of a paid adult admission). Just show your most recent report card!