May 16, 2009

Start a Butterfly Garden

While getting ready to plant our vegetable garden, I wanted to teach my son about the life cycle of butterflies and their role in the garden. Try I as might I could not find a caterpillar or a cocoon anywhere to study. So I went online and found the Live Butterfly Garden.

It comes with a postcard to order free Painted Lady larvae. We haven't gotten ours yet, but I will let you know how it turns out. When I showed the kit to my son he got upset and told me, " Butterflies are supposed to be free or they will die".

I was so proud of him! He has been listening, he does get it! Once he understood that we were going to set them free after they emerged from the cocoon, he couldn't wait for the larvae to arrive. On another note, I hate to think what it means for the environment in my area, that I couldn't find a caterpillar? Perhaps we will start a butterfly garden, after the vegetable one gets going.

4 comments:

hipumpkins said...

We did this last year. It is amazing. we actually got REALLY lucky and saw one butterfly emerge right from the cocoon. We fed them carnations and set them free, in what my daughter thought was the order in which they arrived ;)
Some of the pics are on my blog on that left hand side if you scroll down. My daughter also thinks that every now and then she sees one of "her" buterflies!
Have a great time!
Valerie

DJ said...

hipumpkins:I saw your photos, thanks for sharing!I hope we have as much luck as you did.

Soyun said...

What a thoughtful boy he is~ Hope the kit turns out great! Let us know.

Sweet Serendiptiy said...

Sweet boy!
My kids would love a kit like this. I'll have to look for one too.
BTW, I left some bloggy luv for you on my blog today. Stop by if you can.
Thanks!

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