April is BUTTERFLY MONTH at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach
(West Palm Beach, FL – March 5, 2012) The Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden has declared April to be BUTTERFLY MONTH, packed with a series of fun, informative and butterfly-friendly public events:
Stories in the Garden – Butterflies
Friday, April 13 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for both members and non-members
Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Public Library and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden, this free program is targeted for children, ages 2 to 6, who must by accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian. Reservations required at 561.233.1757.
ButterflyFest
Saturday, April 14 – 1 to 4 p.m.
Meet at front entrance of Garden
$5 entrance donation
Celebrate butterflies with fun and educational activities throughout the Garden. Butterfly walks led by interpreters will explore Mounts and feature the butterfly garden in partnership with members of the North American Butterfly Association, Atala Chapter. Master Gardeners and NABA members will be on-hand to answer questions about how to attract butterflies and other pollinators to your yard. Other activities will include a live and interactive demonstration of a butterfly habitat sculpture incorporating reclaimed natural materials by EcoArtist Jesse Etelson, butterfly stories at the PBC Library booth or stop by the ArtZone and create artwork to display on the Clothesline Art Gallery. Plants will be available for sale, so find the perfect host plants and nectar plants to take home to your garden to attract butterflies to your own backyard. Food and beverages from popular local food trucks will be available for purchase.
Note: Children in butterfly or insect costumes will receive a free gift while supplies last.
Creating a Butterfly Garden Workshop
Saturday, April 14 – 9 a.m. to Noon.
Mounts Exhibit Hall A
$25 for members, $35 for non-members
Master Gardeners Teri Jabour & Tom Hewitt will discuss the various ways to successfully landscape using native butterfly plants with a combination of larval (caterpillar), nectar and host plants. Tours of our spectacular butterfly garden will be included, giving participants the ability to become acquainted with these plants. Plants will be available for sale after the class.
Photographing Butterflies Workshop
Sunday, April 15 – 1 to 3 p.m.
Meet at front entrance of Garden
$15 – Pre-registration & payment required
Join noted nature photographer John J. Lopinot for a casual walk and in-field instruction on how to capture the beauty of butterflies in the Garden. Tips and techniques on camera angle and lighting will be discussed and demonstrated.
Florida-Friendly Butterflyscaping Workshop
Thursday, April 19 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Mounts Exhibit Hall A
$20 per person
Learn about plant selection and design elements that will enhance butterfly habitats on any size project. In this lecture Laura Sanagorski, Environmental Horticulture and Florida-Friendly Extension agent, will cover the right plant, right place for attracting butterflies, and discuss both starting from scratch and converting an existing landscape to a butterflyscape. This program is eligible for Continuing Education Units.
More than a…Spring Plant Sale & Show – April 28-29
About Mounts Botanical Garden:
Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest public garden. Mounts displays tropical and subtropical plants from around the world, including plants native to Florida, exotic trees, tropical fruit, herbs, citrus, palms and more. As a component of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service, and through its affiliation with the University of Florida IFAS, Mounts is the place to connect with Extension Horticulturists, Master Gardeners, the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program, and professional horticultural advisors. Mounts also offers a variety of horticultural classes, and garden-related events and workshops.
Located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach, Mounts Botanical Garden is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The suggested donation for entry to the Garden is $5 per person. For more information, please call 561.233.1757 or visit www.mounts.org.