[ABGinVA]

On my recent trip to TV, I picked up a Newcomers Guide and read about the butterfly garden that is a joint venture of The Villages Butterfly Club and Lady Lake Seventh Day Adventist Church.
What a treasure! There are several gardens behind the church that are bursting with beautiful flowering plants, bushes, and trees. Most have name labels and information about each plant. The grounds are covered with "sensitive plants" that fold up when touched. There is a plant that smells like buttered popcorn when stroked and one whose crushed leaves smell like lime.
Butterflies and other pollinators were busy at work. There are picnic tables in the shade and benches if you want to sit and enjoy the gardens.
Our outing was not long, but it was wonderfully peaceful and educational. As a newcomer to Florida, it was a great way to learn about what plants I might like in my yard.
Kudos to The Villages Butterfly Club for creating and maintaining the gardens, and thank you to the church for providing the space.
If you are looking for something a little different to entertain your grandchildren or guests, I highly recommend a visit to the Butterfly Garden (Butterfly Garden - The Villages).

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by ABGinVA

On my recent trip to TV, I picked up a Newcomers Guide and read about the butterfly garden that is a joint venture of The Villages Butterfly Club and Lady Lake Seventh Day Adventist Church.
What a treasure! There are several gardens behind the church that are bursting with beautiful flowering plants, bushes, and trees. Most have name labels and information about each plant. The grounds are covered with "sensitive plants" that fold up when touched. There is a plant that smells like buttered popcorn when stroked and one whose crushed leaves smell like lime.
Butterflies and other pollinators were busy at work. There are picnic tables in the shade and benches if you want to sit and enjoy the gardens.
Our outing was not long, but it was wonderfully peaceful and educational. As a newcomer to Florida, it was a great way to learn about what plants I might like in my yard.
Kudos to The Villages Butterfly Club for creating and maintaining the gardens, and thank you to the church for providing the space.
If you are looking for something a little different to entertain your grandchildren or guests, I highly recommend a visit to the Butterfly Garden (Butterfly Garden - The Villages).

Re: butterflies
They start out as caterpillars-worms crawling on your plants. Most Villagers if they see worms on their plants will spray or call someone to spray.

[Bonnevie]

I was at the very first butterfly garden meeting. the club was started by Fred Funk who also was the driving force behind the establishment of that garden. He was a treasure trove of information about butterfly gardening. I personally learned so much and enjoy many types of butterflies in my garden due to the knowledge I got from him and the rest of the club.