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Butterfly Gardening for Kids
Planning a Child’s Garden
Combine butterfly plants with your other perennials, annuals, and herbs in existing beds, 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, however, is important. Butterflies are attracted to flowers first by their color, and a swath of bright orange butterfly weed or red salvia is easier for them to see than individual or isolated plants. After color, fragrance follows in significance; butterflies have a keen sense of smell.
Site: Find the sunniest spot in the yard for the garden. Butterflies need the heat of the sun to raise their body temperatures, which helps them fly.
Check out these web sites for more information:
www.butterflies.com
www.naba.org Plants: Ideally, plan a garden your children can grow from seeds they sow outdoors. Some perennials germinate well in the outdoor garden: chives, butterfly weed, coneflowers, meadow rue (Thalictrum), liatris, and yarrow (Achillea), to name a few. They may not, however, bloom the first year from seed, so include annuals in the plan. For younger children, ages 3 to 7 or 8, use annuals with large seeds, such as marigolds and zinnias, which are easy for small hands to sow. 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.
Combine butterfly plants with your other perennials, annuals, and herbs in existing beds, 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, however, is important. Butterflies are attracted to flowers first by their color, and a swath of bright orange butterfly weed or red salvia is easier for them to see than individual or isolated plants. After color, fragrance follows in significance; butterflies have a keen sense of smell.
Site: Find the sunniest spot in the yard for the garden. Butterflies need the heat of the sun to raise their body temperatures, which helps them fly.
Check out these web sites for more information:
www.butterflies.com
www.naba.org Plants: Ideally, plan a garden your children can grow from seeds they sow outdoors. Some perennials germinate well in the outdoor garden: chives, butterfly weed, coneflowers, meadow rue (Thalictrum), liatris, and yarrow (Achillea), to name a few. They may not, however, bloom the first year from seed, so include annuals in the plan. For younger children, ages 3 to 7 or 8, use annuals with large seeds, such as marigolds and zinnias, which are easy for small hands to sow. 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.
For more information, contact Kay Riall
Last updated: 03/13/2009