“Inspiring our Next Generation of Stewards to Plant a Butterfly Garden”

Thursday, October 20^th, 7:00 p.m. – Church of the Nazarene 1307 N. Cypress Ave.

by Monika Moore the California Butterfly Lady.

Butterfly lovers are invited to attend the Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society  October 20^th meeting and learn from Monika Moore, the California Butterfly Lady, how to add beauty and life to your garden with the inclusion of flowers and plants that attract butterflies. You will find a large range of specific plants that are attractive, easy to care for and entice butterflies.

The best butterfly garden plan includes a combination of both host plants and nectar flowers. You will learn which plants are important “Host Plants” to ensurde[pe that the butterfly larvae (caterpillars) have a home and which “Nectar Plants” butterflies need to feed upon.

A butterfly garden allows you to have a chance to observe the miraculous life cycle of the butterfly. You can even bring the egg or caterpillar on the host plant inside your house and see the butterfly stages close-up. This is a fantastic experience for the entire family!

Choose a site that has some sun but is also sheltered from wind. Include a few trees and shrubs for roosting at night and for cooling off on the hottest days.

1. Add one or two large, flat rocks in the sun so butterflies have a place to bask when mornings are cool.
2. 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.
3. Butterfly larvae are caterpillars. Learn to distinguish the larvae of butterflies you’re trying to attract from pest species. Minimize the use of pesticides to protect butterfly larvae and adults.

Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society (RHIS), founded in 1889, is the oldest garden club in California.  The Society’s purpose is to assist in beautifying Redlands and to encourage its residents to create gardens, and RHIS members are still hard at work enhancing the beauty and attractiveness of the greater Redlands area.  The Society continues to encourage the love and practice of horticulture among both adults and children with its many programs and community projects.

General meetings of the Society are held at 7:00 p.m., on the 3^rd Thursday of the month from September through June.  Guests are encouraged to attend meeting which are held at the Church of the Nazarene, 1307 E. Cypress Avenue, Redlands. Meetings are interesting and informative, and include knowledgeable speakers, horticultural related programs, a question and answer period, time for socialization, refreshments, and a favorite…horticultural door prizes for members and a guest.

Meeting topics, as well as updates on Society projects, new Society publications, RHIS Home Garden Tour, plant sales, RHIS Plant Yard propagation programs, RHIS Floral Design Group meetings, and other community projects are published in the Society web site: RedlandsGardenClub.com.

Yearly RHIS family membership is $30 payable to: Redlands Horticulture and Improvement Society, P. O. Box 9235, Redlands, CA 92375.