The butterfly garden was started about two years ago. It is still a work-in-progress. We intend to have a walk-through butterfly house where caterpillars are safe from predators until they hatch and are able to be turned out on their own. There will be regular release dates so the public can come and watch them fly away if they choose. There are two bogs in this area with plans to add one more – and a pond. There are places to sit and enjoy the butterflies as well. Plants in this garden include milkweed, rattlesnake master, coneflower, joe pye-weed, compass plant, stiff goldenrod, sweet shrub, buddelia, spirea, lilac, comfrey, roses, sedum, cosmos, weigela, lavender, catmint, salvia, queen of the prairie, false sunflower, hosta, hydrangea and many more.
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- This is one of my domestic rabbits that escaped her cage. She is in the butterfly garden near the grape vines. We were finally able to catch her and put her back in her cage. She sure did have a good time running around outside though.
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- The screened house in the background is the start of a butterfly house. I hope to be able to capture caterpillars and move them into the house so they are protected from predators. Once they turn into butterflies, I intend to release them back into the wild. This bed is filled with butterfly plants such as coneflower, sedum, catchfly, bee balm and Russian sage. There is also cosmos, lupine, weigela and hardy hibiscus in this bed.
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- The screened house in the background is the start of a butterfly house. I hope to be able to capture caterpillars and move them into the house so they are protected from predators. Once they turn into butterflies, I intend to release them back into the wild. This bed is filled with butterfly plants such as coneflower, sedum, catchfly, bee balm and Russian sage. There is also cosmos, lupine, weigela and hardy hibiscus in this bed.
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- The screened house in the background is the start of a butterfly house. I hope to be able to capture caterpillars and move them into the house so they are protected from predators. Once they turn into butterflies, I intend to release them back into the wild. This bed is filled with butterfly plants such as coneflower, sedum, catchfly, bee balm and Russian sage. There is also cosmos, lupine, weigela and hardy hibiscus in this bed.
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- This is a view of the butterfly garden. Plants include butterfly bush (Buddelia), rattlesnake master, lilac, hops, milkweed, sweet shrub, daylilies, salvia, stiff goldenrod, compass plant, bee balm, privet, fennel and many others.
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- The plant in front is oregano. Behind it is the first bog we put in. Plants include a grass, rodgersia and queen of the prairie.
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- A view of the old bog and behind it, the new bog.
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- This is the new bog. I topped it off with some partially composted straw and goat droppings. In the bog, I planted yellow iris, queen of the prairie and horsetail.
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- Jeffrey working to put the second bog in.
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- Jeffrey digging the hole for the second bog.
