Garden Club builds butterfly garden with grant

Special to The Pass Post

The Pass Christian Garden Club recently received the Garden Clubs of Mississippi Nature Grant. With this grant, the club created a Children’s Butterfly Waystation, which is located behind the Pass Christian Library. The project involved teen volunteers, library Storytime families, scouts, library staff and Garden Club members.

The teen volunteers planted native perennials in the garden and also assisted Garden Club members in creating six olla pots for watering and a butterfly puddling station. The Storytime children planted the host plants and seeds for the butterflies. Garden Club members donated several native plants, and the Mississippi Wildflower Trails donated seeds. The Girl Scout Brownies created stone snakes.  In addition, this summer, the Scouts will be placing stepping stones in the garden.

Eagle Scout Elizabeth Walton built and installed a butterfly bench for the garden for her Eagle Project.

The garden is now blooming, and library officials say it is a delight to view. It has been certified as a Monarch Waystation #47056 through Monarch Watch. A Monarch butterfly sign and native plant labels have been placed to help promote gardening for pollinators.

The Pass Christian Library has already used this garden as an outdoor classroom in several children’s programs, allowing the children to explore and watch the butterflies, caterpillars, ladybugs and birds in the garden. Garden Club members say they are proud to receive the grant and be able to provide a learning environment for all ages. The library is located at 111 Hiern Avenue.