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!

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!

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!

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!

Places: Pollinator Garden, San Diego Zoo

We recently travelled to San Diego for a family wedding. What a beautiful city! I loved seeing the Pacific Ocean, roses in bloom, succulents in lovely containers, and fuchsia bougainvillea.  Yes, the weather is perfect there!

We made our way to the San Diego Zoo and it was amazing!

I was delighted to find this garden there...

Bees, Butterflies, & Hummingbirds (Three of my favorite things)

There were brightly colored nectar plants like butterfly bush, pentas, zinnias, lantana, and coneflowers.

And lots of milkweed growing in the greenhouse and in front of it.

Wow, I would love a greenhouse full of milkweed!

The garden has plenty of winged visitors like this monarch.

For more information about the San Diego Zoo, click here! Happy gardening!

Bambi's Butterfly Garden

This year's butterfly garden at the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival WAS bigger and better! I really enjoyed it's scale and scope - such a nice variety of host and nectar plants in a woodland setting. It also included a chrysalis house,  butterfly identification and life cycle signs, and a puddle.  I'd say there was a moderate amount of butterflies. We saw Monarchs, Queens, Gulf Fritillaries, Zebra Longwings, and a Giant Swallowtail.

Entrance to the garden. We were given packets of Zinnia seeds here.

Bambi's Butterfly Garden is this year's theme.

Queen Butterfly on Bambi

I found these stick trellises inspiring. There was passionvine and coral honeysuckle growing on them.

A puddle for the butterflies to sip from.

Chrysalis House

Queen caterpillar on Milkweed

Butterfly Topiary outside of the garden. The topiaries are one of our favorite features of the whole festival.

The festival ends on the 15th so there is only a few days left to visit Bambi's Butterfly Garden!

Places: JW Marriott Orlando Butterfly Garden

During our recent Spring Break, I took the kids to float in the lazy river at the local JW Marriott (lots of fun by the way!) and I was delighted to stumble upon their petite lakeside butterfly garden.

Although small, this butterfly garden has all of the essential elements: host plants, nectar plants, trellises,  sun and shade, and  a water source. I also like the sign that identifies the garden and describes the butterfly life cycle. The extra lighting is a nice touch too.

Trellis covered with passionflower

The Passionflower and Dutchman's Pipe vines were growing vigorously. Passionflower is the host plant for the Gulf Frittilary (in sun) and Zebra Longwing (in shade). The Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars feed on the Dutchman's Pipe.

Dutchman's Pipevine on the trellis and Mexican Milkweed in the front

There is Mexican Milkweed for the Monarch caterpillars and fennel for the Black Swallowtails.

Fennel surrounding the Oak Tree

Nectar plants included Tropical Sage which hummingbirds love as well.

Tropical Sage on the lower right and Passionflower on the trellis

I really love the pink shade of this Passionflower...

Passionflower

Hope this posting gives you some inspiration for a petite butterfly garden!