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Babies and Butterfly Watching

Jan 8th, 2012
by Kathleen.
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Soft, sling-like baby carriers are best for comfort and for reassuring the baby of your presence. They have been used in traditional cultures for years. Carrying the baby in a sling or soft carrier attached to your body, baby carrying, is also called babywearing.

But which kind of baby carrier is best? Which brand will you choose? One of the most popular carriers today is called the moby wrap. It is soft and well made and both parents and babies seem to love it.

Unless your idea of butterfly watching is to sit on the patio or indoors and gaze at whatever butterflies happen by, you probably like going to butterfly gardens, parks, preserves, fields, or even just empty lots to see how many different species of butterflies you can see and hopefully identify. It can be thrilling to catch sight of a butterfly that is rare in your part of the world.

If you have a baby to care for, that can get complicated. Do you leave the baby at home with a sitter? Or do you take him or her along for some fresh air and sunshine?

Most parents chose the latter option whenever possible. For a variety of reasons, they take the baby along.

So how do you bring along the baby? To keep your hands free for things like buying tickets and holding stair rails at the butterfly garden, taking photos, looking up species in a field guide, etc., you need to put the baby in a carrier—for your safety and theirs.

Babies seem to feel more safe and secure in baby wrap carriers. After calmly watching the world around them for awhile, they often fall asleep. That allows you to devote more attention to butterfly watching, while at the same time resting assured that your baby is as safe and comfortable as possible—and starting off right as a butterfly watcher from the start!



Tags: baby wrap carriers, babywearing, baby carriers, species identification, species of butterflies

Winter Pleasures: Butterfly Conservatories and Sheepskin Seat Covers

Dec 22nd, 2011
by Kathleen.
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When there are no butterflies to view outdoors, no matter where you go, it is definitely winter. Winter may have its own pleasures, but they do not include butterflies unless you visit a butterfly garden. Or course, it is cold outside.

The Museum of Natural History in my city has a wonderful conservatory butterfly garden, with tropical and temperate plants, a stream, a waterfall—in short, butterfly heaven. But you still have to drive there, park, and walk from the parking lot to the museum. And it is cold nowadays, especially when you get back to your car afterward. It always takes the heater awhile (too long) to warm up.

How do you get to that winter haven, the butterfly garden, and back home again without getting unbearably cold? One way is to have comfortable, luxurious and delightful—custom-fitted sheepskin seat covers in your car. Naturally you can enjoy them all winter, not just for going to the butterfly garden.

Sheepskin seat covers make great gifts, too. You can give some to yourself or bestow some on a person whose car you ride in a lot during the winter. (Is that selfish? Yes? So? It is altruistic, too. The recipient will enjoy them all winter, even when you are not along for the ride.)

When the weather warms up, you can store your sheepskins, if you want to. Some people like to keep them in place year round for their softness and comfort.

In the spring you can get out your binoculars and camera and head for the fields to watch for butterflies again. Meanwhile, stay warm, drink hot cocoa, and enjoy the luxury and comfort of soft, furry sheepskin seat covers.

By the way, ComfySheep, the maker of some of the most beautiful sheepskin automobile seat covers, also makes sheepskin rugs, pet beds, and other sheepskin products that also make wonderful gifts for the winter holidays—or anytime.


Tags: sheepskin seat, winter pleasures fun without butterflies, winter holiday gifts, museum of natural history, sheepskin automobile seat, sheepskin seat covers, butterfly gardens

Haven’t You Always Wanted to Catch a Butterfly?

Aug 22nd, 2011
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Indoor butterfly gardens are the best place to really see and study the thousands of different butterfly varieties there are in the world.  You can watch the whole process from the cocooning through the metamorphosis, and throughout the butterfly stage. After the final transformation, a butterfly’s life expectancy is only a few weeks.

Indoor butterfly gardens are built much like a greenhouse, using a transparent or near transparent screen in the place of a roof and walls.  This lets in natural light. They are then furnished with a variety of plants, flowers, and shrubs, and often feature fountains and small ponds.  This duplicates a very natural habitat.

Butterflies like to eat citrus fruit.  Butterfly gardens will often lay slices of oranges throughout the garden, which a butterfly will perch on and graze for very long periods of time.  If coaxed, a butterfly might climb upon your finger, and stay there for awhile, giving you a chance to really study their beautiful colors and fascinating wing texture.  Sometimes they will simply fly over and cling onto a part of your clothing, or your hair.  You can move around naturally and they won’t be bothered.  Children are fascinated with butterflies, and these gardens can provide hours of enjoyment as well as a learning opportunity for your child. They should be cautioned, howver, never to pick up a butterfly by its wings, as this will surely kill it within minutes. Instead, they can “coax” the butterfly onto their finger, or better yet, simply hold a piece of citrus fruit in your hand, and chances are, a butterfly will settle gently on the piece of fruit.

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Tags: long periods of time, plants flowers, flowers and shrubs, butterfly gardens, final transformation

Bible Story Crafts – Caterpillar, Butterfly Activities – Kids Bible Story Crafts

Apr 8th, 2011
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This craft could accompany a story such as the wonderful picture book classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (this book also has beautiful collage pictures that can inspire other projects).

In this fanciful book the caterpillar eats all kinds of foods, including a cherry pie, so you may also want to read a short non-fiction picture book to the kids. After all, in real life caterpillars are very selective about what they eat.

Then you can make a comparison to the how the leaves of the right sort of plant nourishes the caterpillar so that it may become a butterfly, just as Jesus’ teachings nourish our spirit so that we may be reborn in the heavenly kingdom. There are many wonderful analogies you can find between the lowly caterpillar’s metamorphoses into a beautiful creature of flight.

Below you will find a butterfly craft and tips on growing butterfly gardens.

Supplies

o Wooden spring type clothespin

o Green pom-poms (4 medium sized)

o White school glue

o Pipe cleaner

o White paper

o Outline of butterfly wings

o Markers, crayons or paint

Teacher Prep

Most young children will need a template for their butterfly wings. You can create one by drawing a pair of wings on a piece of paper and photocopying one for each child.

Instructions:

1. Glue pom-poms onto one side of clothespin.

2. Form antennas with a piece of pipe cleaner

3. Twist antennas onto the end of the clothespin that doesn’t close

4. Set aside to dry.

5. Color or paint the butterfly wings.

6. Cut out the wings.

7. Transform the caterpillar into a butterfly by clipping on the wings with the clothespin!

Butterfly Gardens

Children love to watch butterflies, and if you create a butterfly garden, they may also have the opportunity to observe the caterpillars and cocoons.

To grow a butterfly garden, you will need to grow plants that provide nectar, places for the butterflies to lay eggs, food plants for the caterpillars (the larva) and places for them to form the chrysalises (cocoons).

Here are some tips for designing your butterfly garden:

1. Grow nectar-producing plants in sunny areas because adult butterflies rarely feed in the shade.

2. Butterflies and many caterpillars are finicky eaters. Consult a regional field guide to find out which species of butterflies prefer which plants.

3. Plant dense clusters of small flowers such as zinnias, milkweeds, verbenas, and many mint family plants are favored by many butterfly species.

4. Do not use insecticides or pesticides.

5. Design your garden so that blossoms are clustered together by type of plant and also in monochromatic, big splashes of color. This makes it easier for the butterflies to see and catch the scent of the blossoms.

6. Choose plants with tubular flowers or flat-topped blossoms, which make better landing strips and feeding stations. Choose easier to sip from single flowers rather than doubles (the ones with extra petals).

7. Since butterflies are active from early spring until late fall, plant accordingly, and include annuals and perennials.

8. Include plants in the butterfly garden that provide food for caterpillars and that are attractive to female butterflies looking for places to lay eggs.

9. Maintain favorite “watering holes”: damp areas and/or shallow puddles.

10. Include plenty places in your butterfly garden for basking. Since butterflies can’t fly when their bodies temperatures are below 70 F, they often bask in the sun on stones, bare soil or vegetation.

11. Last but not least, create your butterfly garden in a way that makes it easy for you and the children to enjoy, perhaps by including a swing bench in the garden, or bringing the garden to you by planting near a deck or pond.

Come get more fun and easy Bible Crafts For Kids. Magriet is a work at home “Gran” and she has a fun site all about fun kids crafts visit it here: http://www.kidscrafts.topknacks.com/ You can also get a very easy and fun Mother’s Day craft at http://www.our-crazy-world.com/documents/easycraftsforkids.html


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Tags: eric carle, butterfly wings, butterfly gardens, pom poms, hungry caterpillar

Insect Lore Butterfly

Feb 27th, 2011
by ButterflyLover.
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When looking for another method of teaching children about nature, look at the selections for an Insect Lore Butterfly product. Butterflies have enthralled and delighted people for thousands of years and have been depicted in artwork from these centuries past as well.

They are fascinating additions to the planet, and their metamorphosis is one of the most incredible transformations that children and adults alike will enjoy.  There are a variety of butterfly gifts and products to select as gifts or educational projects.

Butterfly Gardens

One of the most fascinating products is a butterfly garden. This is an enclosed mesh pavilion that provides a home to the creatures as they metamorph from the eggs, to the larvae, through the construction of the chrysalis, and the emergence of the beautiful adult butterfly.

These come with instructions for the care and feeding of the creature through all the stages of its transformation.  They come in a variety of sizes and designs that are perfect for the classroom or a home. (more…)


Tags: butterflies and other insects, insect lore, moths and butterflies, adult butterfly, butterfly gardens

Attract Butterflies to Come Visit Your Garden

Feb 5th, 2011
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With the massive progress that many cities and towns are experiencing we see the declining of Natural Meadows. With the absence of real meadows, the territory for butterflies, birds and other animals are dwindling too. Luckily butterflies are easily enticed backs if you deposit a backyard where the caterpillar (chrysalis point) has plants to eat and the butterfly has plants to sip nectar. Butterfly gardens are unfussy to lodge and will give you and your family a venture to see butterflies in their ordinary locale.

The basics are an open universes with tons of sunshine and an armor from roll. Pick a location with loads of sunlight with a few rocks or shingle that can boil up on which the butterflies can relax in the morning sun. Try to place your patch near hedges or bushes that will help shelter them from the eager winds. If it is too stormy, the butterflies won’t vacation around for long. The barricade or shrub could become food for the caterpillar. You can find out what the caterpillar likes best from your Nursery Garden Center. Butterflies like mud puddles where they can draft the water and bathe up minerals. An insignia of damp soil will make them favorable. Most important of all is that the patch be pesticide open. Many people like to use pesticides to game away discarded mice, unfortunately it will track away your butterflies too. Put your butterfly backyard in a surround where there will be no chemical pesticides worn. Better still, ask your Garden Center about organic gardening.

Flowers with nectar are a must for a butterfly backyard. When planting these nectar sources try to put in plants that will impart flora throughout the mounting spice since these are the horde of food for the butterflies. Don’t overlook bushes and wildflowers. Roses, geraniums and lilies have no nectar so hide them anywhere besides. Keep your patch diversified to interest the most number of butterflies. Another module for the plot is a spring for worm food. The caterpillar wants food to grow into a butterfly. If there is no food supply they will die. Plant some herbs for both of you. The like dill, fennel, and basil on the menu. What they don’t eat you can gather for cooking with green herbs.

You could also conceal a butterfly locate in garden containers. Buy some appealing pots and lodge them with flowers that have a superb odor as well as clear beautiful ensign (open at your Garden Center). Petunias, daylilies or amiable alyssum will do the fake. Of course the butterfly bushes are a native, or conceal some killing baskets with Impatients (you’ll penury some shade here).

Some gardeners like to make their own feeder and answer. And it is simple to do. Put 4 parts water to 1 part honey in a pot and boil it pending the honey dissolves. Let it cool. Get a shallow garden container, inundate a paper towel with the emulsion and place it the garden container. Put a marble in the garden container so the butterflies have a place to perch while they are feeding.

Get the kids interested. Have them keep a journal of each of the different species that trip your butterfly garden. Let them look up the butterflies on the notebook to learn all about each particular butterfly and it becomes not only fun, but a culture experience also.

Since there are so many growing zones in the United States you will want to natter with your Nursery Center for suggestions of what plants to use for attracting butterflies in your particular zone.

There is an old American Indian Legend about butterflies: “To have a craving come loyal you must capture a butterfly. Whisper to the butterfly what your craving is and then set it boundless. This little envoy will take your craving to the Great Spirit and it will come dutiful.” What a great legend.

Information on butterfly identification can be found at the Butterfly Facts site.
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Tags: mud puddles, sip nectar, butterfly gardens, nectar sources, chemical pesticides

Make a Garden to Bring in Butterflies

Feb 4th, 2011
by .
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With many species suitable cracked and bags others useless because of our suddenly sighted and selfish tailor of living, conservation is one thing that all of us penury to pay interest to. Butterflies, with their diverse scale of vivid ensign invite most of us. The sad part, however, is that many species of butterflies are tight approaching extinction. Their normal homed is whichever being destroyed or is not being favored by gardeners. Butterflies basic detail plants and plants as well as an environment friendly to laying eggs to flourish.

Those interested in providing an environment which will support butterflies, for conservation as well as enjoying since myriads colors the butterflies come in, can make a small contribution by making a butterfly backyard. Like any other plot, butterfly patch requires a little bit of energy, a lot of mind, and an impartial amount of learning about the plants to wish from.

Making a butterfly backyard will add to the inclusive conservation exertion along with beautifying the plot and make it more fragrant. There are hundreds of plants and plants that will draw butterflies and divergent to general belief, greenery and greenery too play an important part in butterfly gardens. The icing on the cake is that it will supply loads of avenues for some exotic photography too.

Autumn Sage, Marigolds, Sweet Pepperbush and Phlox are the most trendy plants but the lean is long. Plants like Morning Glory and Butterfly Bush, also known as Buddleia, too snare the awareness of butterflies. Among bushes and bushes one can desire New Jersey Tea Tree and/or the Hawthorn Bush. Wildflowers, like Spearmint, Ironweed or Thistles also support butterflies.

Once the abundance is made one has only to ponder deftly as to where to workshop them for greatest payment. With this half the job is over, one can outing to charming thought of the plants and the butterfly population that they will encourage.

Insects like, spiders, ants, flies, wasps, and birds are unsafe for butterflies. The tough part is that one cannot use pesticides indiscriminately to murder these insects as pesticides are hurtful to caterpillars, larvae, and butterflies. The blood-sucking insects, aphids, cannot be controlled by pesticides. It is a tricky setting but life provides answers where creature efforts become unviable. Whereas other insects can be controlled by using traps, the normal way to dominate aphids is to freedom ladybugs and other bugs that do not injury butterflies. Sometimes a plain spray of water on aphid infected plants will do the job.

Butterflies are even attracted by what we call garden munchies and mashed up fruits like watermelon, bananas, and oranges too will help with making the garden more helpful to butterfly population.

One hardship not disquieted that something erroneous is being done by increasing the population of the butterflies in this manner. Mother Nature has its own sense and balances everything in its own way. Butterflies too are vulnerable to disease and viruses.

Information on life cycle of a butterfly can be found at the Butterfly Facts site.
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Tags: butterfly gardens, butterfly bush, butterfly population, exotic photography, species of butterflies

Propagating Butterfly Bush from Root Cuttings

Dec 2nd, 2009
by Kathleen.
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Buddleja

Image via Wikipedia

Propagating Butterfly Bush from root cuttings.

The first step for how to root cuttings from the butterfly bush is to select a stem for cutting. In early Fall, choose a stem for butterfly bush propagation that is at least 6 inches long, and is new growth cut the flower off. A new growth stem will be a lighter green than old growth.

Also be aware that if you live in a colder climate where the butterfly bush dies back to the ground, the whole shrub may be new growth.

Once you have selected a stem to propagate the butterfly bush, take a sharp pair of shears and cut the stem off just below a leaf node. A leaf node is where a set of leaves will be growing.

The butterfly bush cutting should be at least 4 inches long and should contain at least one additional set of leaves above the selected leaf node. Snip the cutting from the stem.

Next, strip all but the top most set of leaves from the cutting. The cutting should have only two leaves left, dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone.

Rooting hormone will increase the chances of successfully propagating butterfly bush, place the cutting into damp potting soil. Place the pot in a sheltered location out of direct sunlight. (more…)


Tags: butterfly bush, tiger swallowtails, potting soil, butterfly gardens, butterfly bushes

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