Last Friday the amazing grade 2 students at ICS each brought in a plant for the butterfly garden. Ms. McLane had suggested a list of plants that are good for the butterflies in Florida. The students followed the recommendations and brought in salvia, pentas, lantana, firebush, and petunias.
ICS Students hold their plants for the butterfly garden.
They were eager to put their flowers in the garden for the butterflies. The Town N Country Garden Circle ladies were in the garden waiting for them. As soon as they got there, students were arranged in groups, so all the salvia plants were together, all of the pentas together, etc. Next the plants were placed on the ground in the garden. We wanted similar plants together, but also had to plan so each plant had enough room to reach its full size.
The women had a knife to cut through the newspaper and mulch placed in the garden last week. Holes were dug for each plant, while students worked to get their plants out of the pots. As each student planted the flower that he or she brought, the roots were spread apart slightly. Then students tapped and pressed the soil around each plant to set it in place. It was a busy time but within 30 minute, all plants were in the ground. What a miracle.
A monarch butterfly was fluttering around the milkweed plant that had been placed in the garden last week. The students were delighted to see the butterfly and happy that their plants were already working to feed the butterflies. As the students went back to school to get cleaned up and ready for the Friday Stations of the Cross, the women watered the plants to help give them a good start.
Filed under: Backyard wildlife, Ecology, Education, Florida-Friendly, gardening, Plants, student gardens Tagged: butterflies, butterfly garden, firebush, garden, gardening, gardening with kids, lantana, milkweed plant, monarch butterfly, pentas, petunia, salvia, salvia plants, stations of the cross
