Butterfly Gardening for Kids

Winged jewels of the air … flutterbys … no matter what you call butterflies, they entrance everyone. Planting a garden to attract them is one of the best ways to get children interested in gardening and nature while introducing them to a bit of science at the same time.

To attract butterflies, design a garden that provides a long season of flowers that provide nectar. Perennials, such as chives, dianthus, bee balm, butterfly weed, black-eyed Susan, and echinacea offer a succession of blooms. Add annuals such as cosmos, petunias, and zinnias, that flower all season. Flowers with many small tubular flowers or florets—liatris and verbena, for example—or those with single flowers, such as French marigold, Shasta daisy, and sunflower.

In addition to planting for adult butterflies, you also need to offer food plants for their caterpillar larvae. Sources can be certain trees and shrubs but also include herbs such as dill, fennel, and parsley, and ‘weedy’ plants like common milkweed and thistles. One of the best-known butterflies, the monarch, lays its eggs only on milkweed then its larvae feed on the plant.

Planning a Child’s Garden

You can add butterfly plants to existing spaces or create a separate garden area especially for the kids. The size of the garden should suit the age of your children; even a space as small as 3 feet by 6 feet will hold enough flowers to attract a few butterflies.

If the kids lose interest partway through the season and the garden gets weedy, don’t worry: neatness counts for very little to a butterfly.

Color is important since butterflies are attracted first by color so a swath of bright orange butterfly weed or red salvia is easier for them to see.

Fragrance is also a significant attractant; butterflies have a keen sense of smell.

Find the sunniest spot for the garden. Butterflies need the heat of the sun to raise their body temperatures, which helps them fly.

Plants: Children love to grow from seeds they sow themselves.

Some perennials that germinate well in the outdoor garden are chives, butterfly weed, coneflowers, liatris, and yarrow (Achillea). They may not, however, bloom the first year from seed, so include annuals in the plan. For younger children, ages 3 to 8, use annuals with large seeds, such as French marigolds and zinnias. Sow seeds in color groups, rather than sprinkling them through the bed.

Accessories: Incorporate a few rocks in the design. Butterflies often rest on rocks, which reflect the heat of the sun. Edge the garden with rounded rocks, put a small pile towards one side, or make a path through the flowers with flat stepping stones. Create a place where water can collect with a concave rock or a pot saucer filled with wet sand (Moisten the sand periodically if it doesn’t rain). Butterflies “puddle” in such spots—the perfect opportunity for kids to watch them up close.

A Container Garden for Butterflies: You can also create a haven for butterflies without a lot of space by planting flowers and herbs in containers. Group three or four large containers together in the corner of a patio or deck for more impact. You can also plant trailing annuals, such as petunia and verbena, in hanging baskets. The warmth of the sun is just what butterflies need along with a welcome puddling spot. Become a Monarch Waystation: As your butterfly garden grows, think about becoming a Monarch Waystation . A Monarch Waystation is an intentionally-managed garden that provides food and habitat for the struggling Monarch butterfly population. As a rule, a waystation must include at least 2 types of Milkweed, the ‘host’ plant for Monarchs.

National Garden Bureau credits Eleanore Lewis as the original author of this article and the photographs are from the National Garden Bureau.

Terrie Schwartz Wedel’s Nursery, Florist & Garden Center

During the summer months, parents, grandparents and caregivers often feel challenged with activities to keep children busy.

This summer, I challenge you to think outside the “Disneyland” box and simply involve the children in your daily activities. What may seem like work to adults, can be exciting for kids.

I learned this lesson and how excit- ing yard work can be to kids if you add a few neighbors and the promise of a pizza lunch, during our annual neighborhood clean up in late May.

My grandsons were with us during this exciting clean up event that started by digging up many rocks by the pond to move them closer to the Water. Who knew that being trusted with a shovel and bantering with the neighbors could be such fun!

The boys even successfully recruited a few other neighbor kids by dangling the preverbal carrot… pizza lunch!

After moving the rocks, we moved onto cleaning up the trail area. The kids picked up sticks and branches with the adults to be fed into the chipper shredder – so cool! The kids were also using push brooms to clear off what the shredder left behind. A neighbor fetched his leaf blower and the kids were excited to use it.

After hours of manual labor, the pizza finally arrived! The girls pulled out a blanket and had a picnic lunch on the lawn and the boys claimed the porch. The adults surrounded the pizza table while visiting, and the dogs waited in the wings for the scraps and the opportunity to snatch an unmanned plate of food.

More work continued after lunch and the next day, which the boys wanted be a part of. My grandsons learned some new skills and realized how fun it is working alongside neighbors and friends.

As the business of summer sets in, look no further for quality to go meals and catering services. River Road Foods, located at the historic 615 Bridge Street in Plainwell, is sure to satisfy the hungriest bellies in town.

Whether you are looking to cater an event or just stop in to grab lunch or dinner, River Road will provide you with some awesome meal options that will leave a lasting impression on your taste buds.

Dyer Price-Stassek started her catering journey in Portland, Oregon, where she had a restaurant for 10 years. After moving to Michigan, she decided to continue her love of