Butterflies & Blooms Class at DBG

Ray Sander, President of the Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG), announced the 37-acre gardens are in full peak summer bloom, and starting on Thursday, July 20 and running every Thursday though August 31st at 9:00 a.m. is the Butterflies & Blooms Class. Sander said, “This Butterflies & Blooms class is a family-friendly class that is both fun and educational. All are welcome.”

Stephen Pryce Lea, Director of Horticulture and Education Programs said, “The summer breeze carries the hungry pollinators inland to the abundance of our DBG blooms. DBG is fortunate to have a well-established Piet Oudolf 2-acre meadow, with native plants that attract essential pollinators. We have seen an upturn in the numbers of bees and butterflies visiting the gardens and woodland trails. Now is the best time to visit.”

This program offers guests a chance to explore the Piet Oudolf Meadow in a new way, searching for and identifying the many butterfly species that take advantage of the nectar offered by the blooming perennials.  Monarchs, Spicebush Swallowtails, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, American Ladies, Painted Ladies, Variegated Fritillaries and Silver Spotted Skippers are some of the most frequent visitors to the Meadow.  Volunteer docents help guests identify the butterflies and their “favorite” nectar plants in the Meadow.  The necessary host plants, where hungry caterpillars eat their way to the next stage, are also discussed so that gardeners can be sure they are supporting the entire lifecycle of the butterflies they love. 

Preregistration is required as there is a limited class size. This is a family-friendly program welcoming butterfly lovers of all ages.   Members free admission and $10 class fee. Non-members admission $15 plus class fee of $10. Children 16 and under, when accompanied by an adult, have free admission and free butterfly tour. Reserve tickets at delawaregardens.org.