All About Butterflies

     On April 10, 2025, the Monroeville Garden Club met at the Presbyterian Church.  Hostesses were Jeanne Sewell, Dianne Bond, and Scarlet Strom.

     

Charlotte Lambert, President, opened the meeting by reminding members of the re-opening of the Bird’s Nest at the Courthouse Museum, the Bounty and Grace Banquet on June 12th (we will decorate the tables), and the May 8th Garden Club luncheon.  The theme for the luncheon is “You Are My Sunshine “.  Each member is to prepare a place setting of their choice and a favor.  Different members will provide food.  Club members were also encouraged to volunteer to be officers for the next year.

    

 Jill Boyles, Baldwin County Master Gardener, gave a very informative program for establishing and promoting butterfly gardens.   One main example of plants to use was milkweed, a host plant for butterflies.  We learned that the butterfly has a 2 week life span and somehow migrates to Mexico.  Ms. Boyles described the different attributes and markings of the Monarch Butterfly and others.  She also described the way the butterflies use their cocoons and how they emerge.

    

 The use of different plants was discussed.  Ms. Boyles recommended Kim’s Nursery in Citronelle as a good place to buy plants.  She said that the Alabama Butterfly Atlas and Youtube Lady in Daphne were great resources of information.

     

After an array of delicious refreshments which carried out the butterfly theme, the meeting adjourned.

Hostesses:  (L to R) Jeanne Sewell, Scarlet Strom, and Dianne Bond

Speaker Jill Boyles

                                                    

Program on Butterflies

The Monroeville Garden Club met on Thursday, April 14, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Evelyn Bond.  Vonceil Stringer was the co-hostess.

Ms. Alice Marty, a Master Gardener from Mobile, presented a program on butterflies.  She talked about the life cycle of the butterfly , the different kinds of butterflies and the type host plant needed to attract them.   To attract butterflies to the garden, Ms. Marty recommended that you have at least three nectar rich plants such as lantana, and two kinds of host plants such as milkweed and fennel.

Following the program, reports were given on projects around the square.  Last month some of the members spent several days working on the Katherine Lee Rose Garden.  Weeds were removed, the roses were pruned and new mulch was put down.  The benches in the rose garden have deteriorated and will have to be replaced.  The project to plant drift roses and some new shrubs around the courthouse has been completed.  New plants have been put in the containers around the square and most of the hanging baskets have been put out.  A new project this year is to add some plants in the boxes around the crepe myrtles and about one third of these have been completed.

After the business session members enjoyed refreshments of pound cake with fruit topping, chocolate haystacks, olive rollups, pimento cheese sandwiches and coffee.

Those attending were Laura Bodiford, Evelyn Bond, Judi Burns, Bev Colquett, Audrey Griffin, Margaret Groves, Carolyn Hutcherson, Dana Shinholster, Ree Smith, Vonceil Stringer, Gail Touchton, Patsy Wadlington, Nancy Ziebach, and guest, Nancy Davis.

The May meeting will be at the home of Bev Colquett and the program will be on bee keeping.

Our hostess, Evelyn Bond and co-hostess, Voncile Stringer.

Our speaker, Alice Marty

Ms. Marty giving recipe for "Butterfly Potpourri".

Three different size flower pots, 2 bags of commercial potting

mix, slow release fertilizer, nectar rich plants- 3 lantana camaras,

and host plants - 2 asclepius and 3 or 4 fennel.

A few shots of Evelyn's beautiful garden

 WORKING AROUND THE SQUARE

Patsy Hutcherson and Laura Bodiford working on the
Katherine Lee Rose Garden.  Others who helped were
Brenda Gardner and Bev Colquett.

New plants in the containers.

The rose garden is really looking good right now but these pictures
don't do it justice.  Stop by and take a look when you are in town.

The new drift roses are just getting ready to bloom.

This is one of eight beds in the front and back of the courthouse.
Drift roses were planted and we have added a groundcover.

Gazania plants have been added to some of the
beds around the square and should be in bloom soon.

One of the hanging baskets that was carried over from
last year.  Gail has added several blooming baskets as well

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