Tag Archives: Butterflies

Have Fun with Live Butterflies

LUTON, ENGLAND - MAY 28:  A Painted Lady butte...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

One of the most fascinating hobbies for people of any age is the study of Live Butterflies because they reflect the changes in life in such an incredible stunning and enthralling metamorphosis.  Learning about these creatures is certainly fascinating for children, and actually having a butterfly garden can be a great project for a science class.  But these creatures are not only used in the classroom, they are used for a variety of other occasions as well.  Read further to get more information on what purchasing these creatures can be used for and the accessories that come with the creatures.

 

Classes and Education Purposes

 

Studying these wonderful creatures is great for science projects in schools, and to encourage the students to learn more about the world around them and nature itself.  Because these butterflies have such an interesting metamorphosis, they make for a fascinating study in the classroom.  Pavilions can be purchased to allow the children to watch the progression when the butterflies have laid their eggs, through the larvae, to the chrysalis, and finally the emergence of the next generation of these beautiful butterflies.

 

Releasing the Butterflies

 

It has become increasingly popular for brides to choose to release butterflies at their wedding instead of throwing rice or confetti – it’s certainly more environmentally friendly to have more of these wonderful creatures darting whimsically around the planet.  There are release cartons that contain the butterflies allowing the guests to open the ribbon on enclosures to allow the butterfly to be released at the appropriate time, or there can be a larger cage where all can be released simultaneously.

 

These are also popular to be released at Bar or Bat Mitzvah’s, anniversaries, birthdays, or graduations.  Because they are ecologically friendly, releasing them for any special occasion is a great idea and can have great symbolism for the people gathered at the celebration. 

 

Using on Bouquets

 

Another very popular practice that has become in vogue recently is using the butterflies on the bridal bouquets.  The butterflies can be placed in a cooler for up to 20 minutes, and then placed on the bouquet as the bridal party starts up the aisle.  Within a couple of minutes they will become active again and delight guests by leaving the bouquets, garlands, or other flowers throughout the venue to flutter around the room and enhance the wedding.

 

Most Popular Species

 

There are a variety of species that are very popular to be released at a variety of events, but the most popular tend to be the Monarch and Painted Lady varieties.  These are all the rage because of their wonderful golden and orange coloring and the striking black and white markings around the outer wings.  Of course there are other varieties that can be selected, but these are available through most of the suppliers.

 

It’s true that Live Butterflies can have a variety of purposes, both for teaching children about the life cycle of the creatures as well as using them for special events such as weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations.  They are always such a pleasure to observe.

 

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Butterfly Bush: Loved by People and Butterflies Alike

Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush

The beautiful flowering butterfly bush is so named because it attracts butterflies, making it a striking conversation piece in any yard.  Butterfly bushes get very large, so keep that in mind when choosing a place to plant one.  They usually get at least six feet tall and can get much taller in good growing conditions.  The flowers are in large spiked clusters of pink, purple, red or white with orange throats.  Butterfly bush should not be confused with the orange wildflower known as butterfly.

The butterfly bush is hardy in zones 5 to 10, which is most of the southern half of the US.  The butterfly bush was originally found in the Orient, then was taken to France for cultivation.  In Europe it was called “summer lilac” because of the large fragrant flower clusters that resemble lilac. The plant attracts hummingbirds as well as butterflies.

Butterfly bushes are easy to grow as long as they have normal garden soil and at least six hours of daylight per day.  Of course, you also need to remember to give them plenty of room.  Some people like to prune them back to half their size in the late summer so that they will have new growth and lots of blooms when the butterflies migrate in September and October.  They also stay in bloom better when you remove dead flowers.  An established bush is somewhat tolerant of drought conditions.

There is one drawback with butterfly bushes, according to some experts.  Since the bush is not native to North America, and since it is so easy to grow, it is considered an invasive species in some places.  They also argue that it doesn’t really help the butterflies that come to it because it is not a suitable host plant for them.  That is, it is not a plant where they can lay eggs, and which will feed the caterpillars.

If you already have a butterfly bush that you enjoy every year, you can make it more environmentally friendly by removing the dead heads before they go to seed and trimming the plant back each year.  If you use a heavy mulch around the bottom, you won’t have to worry as much about new seedlings coming up.  Make your butterfly garden even more useful to butterflies by planting some milkweed relatives, such as the butterfly weed

Butterfly Bush
Butterfly Bush