Community Butterfly Garden Project at All Children's Park

April 1, 2022

The creation of a butterfly garden was the vision of club member Carolyn. Together with club members Pamela and Feroza, the work began.

First, we needed to find a suitable location for the garden. All Children’s Park at the Spruce Creek Recreation Facility on Spruce Creek Road was recommended and with a quick visit, we decided that it would be the perfect place. Thankfully, the Parks and Recreation Department of Port Orange agreed!

On February 21, 2021, Carolyn, Feroza, and Pam met with the Port Orange Parks Supervisor to decide on the exact location within All Children’s Park to put the butterfly garden. In the end, a spot in front of two existing benches was the perfect place to put our garden.

We met a resident gopher tortoise that had a den near the location and named him Oscar.

Before we could begin work, we needed to present a formal plan with the specifications to the City of Port Orange for approval. Club member Lee was the perfect person to create the plan due to his engineering background.

We also needed a person with knowledge and experience about the types of plants required to sustain a butterfly garden. Club member Peter, also a member of the Paw Paw Native Plant Society, along with Lee’s friend with plant nursery experience, Steve, became a part of our Butterfly Committee.

The plan was approved and on March 19, 2021, the official groundbreaking took place.

Every Friday at 10:00 a.m., the Butterfly Committee worked on establishing more of the garden.

(left to right) Steve, Lee, Pamela, and Carolyn.

Left to right: Lee, Carolyn. Steve (walking in background), and Pamela.

One of Lee’s many trips bringing dirt to the garden.

(Left to right) Carolyn, Lee, and Steve working the nutrient rich soil into the garden space.

Lee and Carolyn attaching the rope around the back side of the garden area.

Peter hauling water to mix with the cement for the stakes around the garden.

Peter in the foreground. Steve is in the background bringing the nursery box to be set-up in the garden.

(left to right) Peter, Lee, Steve, and Carolyn deciding on the location of the nursery box.

(left to right) Steve and Lee putting the first plants into the nursery box.

(left to right) Carolyn and Lee doing a final watering of the plants before leaving for the day.

After everything was planted and a schedule was made, committee members took turns watering by hand because there was no sprinkler system working at the time. Club member Doug helped to haul water from the bathrooms to the gardens. What a job!

A path was created per Peter’s suggestion. (left to right) Peter, Feroza, and club member Robert.

Carolyn painted the names of the plants on bricks for the garden.

(left to right) Lee, Carolyn, Steve, and Peter installing posts that will hold informational signs on the stages of life of a butterfly.

The butterfly catching children were a gift from our garden decorator, Carolyn.

Informational signs are now in place – we are almost finished!

The final sprucing of the garden pre-dedication.

The garden is ready for the dedication ceremony.

An invitation was posted on the nursery box telling the community when the formal dedication would take place.

On June 18, 2021, we had a formal dedication of the butterfly garden to the Port Orange community. We were fortunate to have coverage of the event in the Hometown News. (click here to read the article)

A welcome and words of gratification were presented by Mayor Burnette to more than 50 butterfly fans in attendance! Children were encouraged to paint rocks to leave in the garden. Balloons, candy, and butterfly decorations were given to any child that was there.