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Neighborhoods can unite to build gardens, enhance butterfly population

By Carolyn Warner Orange Park Garden Club Birds, Bees and Butterflies Chairman
Posted 8/10/22

ORANGE PARK – When my husband and I moved into our new home in Edgewater Landing in the fall of 2018, we fully intended to carry on a tradition of building a butterfly garden in our yard.

This …

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Neighborhoods can unite to build gardens, enhance butterfly population


Posted

ORANGE PARK – When my husband and I moved into our new home in Edgewater Landing in the fall of 2018, we fully intended to carry on a tradition of building a butterfly garden in our yard.

This “tradition” had come about through our having seen the movie “Flight of the Butterflies” and a subsequent trip to Mexico to observe the Monarchs firsthand.

We soon realized however that our new yard was not suitable for this activity, so we went looking for an alternative location. Since we were one of the first families to move into the neighborhood, the developer was still active in the construction of the subdivision. We found the lot where the site construction company had stored the gravel, concrete culverts and other materials for site development; consequently, large pieces of concrete and gravel were strewn above and below ground, making it impossible for in-ground planting.

Since we have used raised beds in the past, this was not a roadblock for us. We had found our future garden.

We contacted the real estate agent on site and outlined our idea for a community butterfly garden. She in turn put us in touch with the developer in Vancouver, Canada. As it turned out, the developer was coming to check firsthand the progress of the construction. After meeting the developer in person, followed by many emails, our plan was approved, and my husband began to build our community garden.

Raised beds and containers were the order of the day. We didn’t intend to complete the garden in one effort, instead built it in steps as our budget permitted. Today, after three years, our garden is basically complete.

We feel like we have made a small but important contribution to preserving some of nature’s most beautiful creatures, and that’s the point. Any effort by one, two or more people is important and can make a difference. Every community has easements, vacant lots, and unused spaces of every size that can be planted and maintained for the benefit of native species.

All it takes is someone to say “yes, I’ll do it.” If a new community is being planned, one should ask the developer to set aside a space for planting native and beneficial plants.

I am aware that several garden clubs in the area maintain butterfly gardens at several libraries, schools, and parks. They are making a difference and so can you.