Plant a Butterfly Garden inspired by Maria Sibylla Merian

This is one in a series of posts honoring Women’s History Month. Each post celebrates a woman of note & encourages readers to explore their own creativity…

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Inspiration

Maria Sibylla Merian was a German-born naturalist and scientific illustrator. She was one of the early European naturalists to observe insects directly. Merian was one of the first people to truly understand and illustrate the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Her beautiful illustrations shared the beauty of butterflies with the world.

Build a Butterfly Garden

Materials

  • In-ground garden space, raised bed or container garden

  • Trowel or shovel

  • Flowering plants for adult butterfly

  • Host plans for caterpillars

Directions

  1. Find a garden location that receives at least six to eight hours of sunlight and is sheltered from the wind.

  2. Select plants that grow well in your area. Make sure to include flowering plants that attract butterflies and leafy “host plants” that attract egg-laying butterflies and provide food for the caterpillars (also known as the larvae).

  3. Plant your garden. Add one or two large, flat rocks in the sun so butterflies a place to bask when mornings are cool.

  4. Since butterflies cannot drink from open water, provide them with a "puddle" by filling a container, such as an old birdbath, with wet sand where they can perch and drink safely

adapted from Kids Gardening

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Coding Apps inspired by Ada Lovelace