Monroe Journal Article on the Butterfly Garden

http://www.scribd.com/full/37153621?access_key=key-t7ge1q9oxf0li4uftw

Have you ever wondered how and when to properly prune a Crepe Myrtle?

Don't be guilty of crepe murder.  They are trees. Let them grow into trees.
However, if you must prune them - do it in February -before they start to put leaves out - don't severely prune them in April.

This article describes how to prune Crepe Myrtles- worth reading!

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/stop-dont-chop-crepe-myrtles-00400000005585/index.html

Catching up! and Article about the garden in the Monroe Journal

Back in May, just before school got out for summer, the K-3 and K-4 classes planted flowers in the garden.  They had started seedlings in their classrooms.  The zinnias that are now so bright and beautiful (and often covered in butterflies) are some of the plants grown from seed by the children. 

In the fall, a reporter contacted us and asked to do a feature on the garden in the Monroe Journal.  The article came out in November, 2009.  I am going to add the article to the blog.

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Changes in the garden

One new plant in our garden is called Salvia mexicana 'Limelight' (Mexican Sage) It has chartreuse green and violet-blue flowers.

The milkweed seed pods have been bursting open-

The garden has a new sign- thanks to King Glass for letting us have some plexiglass and to Mr. E.T. Nettles for his help in attaching the painted sign to a wood frame!

                                            Lion's Ear is a new addition.

Mexican Bush Sage has been planted to replace the plants that were originally planted.










Gulf Frittillary Chrysalis on fence

                                                                                            

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

The K-3and K-4 classes were excited to see a newly emerged Gulf Fritillary Butterfly.  The butterfly's chrysalis was hanging on a Butterfly Bush located next to the Passion Flower Vine that is the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars.

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars

Our passion flower plant has gulf fritillary caterpillars!


For information about gulf fritillary caterpillars and butterflies: http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Gulf%20Fritillary/index.html

Caterpillars in the garden

There are at least 15 black swallowtail caterpillars on the fennel and parsley in the garden. Hopefully, there will be some of the caterpillars and chrysalises in the garden when school starts in 12 days!

For information on Black Swallowtail Butterflies see
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Black%20Swallowtail/index.html

BUTTERFLY WEED AND MONARCH CATERPILLARS

Yesterday, we found two monarch caterpillars on the butterfly weed plant.

The butterfly weed was a new addition to the garden this spring, and it is one of the few plants on which a monarch butterfly will lay its eggs.

For more information on Monarch Butterflies and their life cycle go to:

http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Monarch/index.html

Our Next Project!

The present butterfly garden is doing great. This was our first step in creating an outdoor classroom environment. We are going to expand the outdoor classroom to the fenced in area behind the preschool. In that area, we want to build raised beds for various gardens such as: a sensory garden, an herb garden, a vegetable garden, a butterfly garden, and a worm bed. Since this area is already fenced in, the children will be able to be more involved in these projects.

These are some of the items that we are in need of :

- one or two large rubbermaid type containers to hold tools and other items

- bags of fertilizer and black cow
- plants –annuals like zinnias and cosmos
- plants- perennials and herbs
- any flowering plants from your yard that can be divided
- large stepping stones (the concrete ones you can find at Walmart)
- butterfly house
- bluebird house
- watering can
- large terra cotta saucer

- bench

- timbers for raised beds

-volunteers who have tools needed to build the beds.

- water hose that is durable and very long or two hoses that can be connected. (the existing water hose is not long enough and it is full of kinks)

- sprayer for hose

-soaker hose