“Butterfly, Butterfly Garden” Project Plan by Doyle Keasal, Alabama Wildlife Federation & Alabama Cooperative Extension System For more Outdoor Classroom info visit the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s website at alabamawildlife.org. Page 1 of 5
EXAMPLE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM PROJECT PLAN:
Butterfly, Butterfly Garden
Butterflies are one of those insects that just about everyone enjoys watching as they flutter around the
garden. Attracting butterflies is easily accomplished by making sure you provide a variety of plants that
provide nectar for the adults as well as foliage that their caterpillars can eat. The following plans are for a
garden designed for butterflies that is also in the shape of a butterfly, therefore the name Butterfly,
Butterfly Garden.
Location Choice Suggestions:
Flat, Smooth Area (can be on the side of a hill or flat on the ground as long as the soil is not
bumpy or hilly)
Area Approved for Digging Down 6-12 inches (must not have any utility lines in the area)
Full Sun (most flowers and “host plants” enjoyed by butterflies and caterpillars require 6-8
hours of sunlight per day)
Example Butterfly, Butterfly Gardens:
Estimated Cost: $558.35
Tools, Materials & Supplies:
Tape measure
Roll of Twine
Stakes or Flags
Landscape Marking Spray Paint
(2) Sharp, Straight-edged Shovel & (2) Round-pointed Shovels
Wheelbarrow
Tined Garden Rake
Garden hose
Prattville Intermediate School Carrollton Elementary in Pickens Co.
“Butterfly, Butterfly Garden” Project Plan by Doyle Keasal, Alabama Wildlife Federation & Alabama Cooperative Extension System For more Outdoor Classroom info visit the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s website at alabamawildlife.org. Page 2 of 5
Example Outdoor Classroom Project Plan: Butterfly, Butterfly Garden
Butterfly, Butterfly Garden Costs (Including plants) EST. COST: $558.35
Butterfly,
Butterfly
Materials & Supplies Estimated
Cost
Source of
Materials
Monetary/Item
Donation B Butterfly One can of marking paint $10.00 Hardware Store
B Butterfly Roll of twine (at least 500 ft.) $5.00 Hardware Store
B Butterfly (80) 9’x6” pavers $136.00 ($1.07 each)
Hardware Store
B Butterfly (2) Bag Black Mulch (2cu. ft. each) $6.68 Hardware Store
B Butterfly (11) Garden Soil Blend by StaGreen (3cu. ft. bag)
$120.67 ($10.97 each)
Hardware Store
B Butterfly * Plants from Nursery (See lists below) $280.00 Hardware Store
Example Plant List Est. Cost: $280.00 Description Quantity Estimated Cost Description Quantity Estimated Cost Flat of marigolds 1 $10.00 Pentas 6 $30.00
Buddleia 2 $20.00 Blue Salvia 6 $30.00
Black-eyed Susan 6 $30.00 Yellow Lantana 6 $30.00
Purple Cone Flower 6 $30.00 Red Lantana 6 $30.00
Homestead Verbena 6 $30.00 Fennel 4 $10.00
Butterfly Weed 6 $30.00 Total Est Cost: $280.00
Example Plant Arrangement in Garden:
*Other Nectar Plant Suggestions: Asters, Blazing Stars, Salvia, Pineapple Sage, Cosmos & Dianthus
*Other “Host Plant” Suggestions: Cabbage, Fennel, Dill, Parsley, Passion Flower Vine, & White Yarrow
Plant Key
Buddleai (Butterfly Bush)
Homestead Verbena
Yellow Lantana
Butterfly Weed
Black-eyed Susan
Purple Cone Flower
Red Lantana
Pentas
Marigolds
Zinnias
- - - - - Pavers
Black Mulch
“Butterfly, Butterfly Garden” Project Plan by Doyle Keasal, Alabama Wildlife Federation & Alabama Cooperative Extension System For more Outdoor Classroom info visit the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s website at alabamawildlife.org. Page 3 of 5
Example Outdoor Classroom Project Plan: Butterfly, Butterfly Garden
Step by Step Instructions with Photographs and Diagrams for Construction of Garden:
Step 1: Draw or trace your
butterfly garden design on a
piece of grid paper (1/2” square
grid is a common size). (See
example on page 2.)
Step 2: Select the area for the
butterfly garden, and lay out a
large grid with the same number
of grid squares as Step 1 using a
tape measure, stakes and twine.
You may want to make each
grid equal to one square foot.
(12” x 12”).
Step 3: Once the large grid is
laid out on the ground, use a can
of marking paint to draw the
outline of the butterfly over the
grid lines (twine) and onto the
ground. (Remember, you are
creating a really big copy of the
butterfly drawing that you made on
your grid paper.)
“Butterfly, Butterfly Garden” Project Plan by Doyle Keasal, Alabama Wildlife Federation & Alabama Cooperative Extension System For more Outdoor Classroom info visit the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s website at alabamawildlife.org. Page 4 of 5
Example Outdoor Classroom Project Plan: Butterfly, Butterfly Garden
Step by Step Instructions Continued:
Step 4: (Using herbicide) Now that the outline of
the butterfly is drawn on the ground, spray the area
inside the butterfly outline with Glyphosate
herbicide (ex/ Roundup). Wait a few days until you
see that the plants are starting to brown. Once this
takes place, using a sharp, straight edged shovel, cut
the soil along the outline of the butterfly’s body
and remove the top 6” to 12” of soil.
Or Step 4: (Without herbicide) Now that the
outline of butterfly is drawn on the ground,
use a sharp, straight edged shovel to cut the
sod along the outline of the butterfly’s
body. Remove the top 6” to 12” of soil.
When doing this, make sure you are digging
out the root systems of the plants you don’t
want or they will grow back.
Step 5: Replace the soil you
removed with sand until you are
about two inches (half the
thickness of the paver) below the
sod level.
Step 6: Carefully outline the butterfly’s
body and antennas with narrow pavers or
some other type of edging and then fill
the body area with black mulch or
crushed stone. This will provide a
walking path through the butterfly.
Step 7: Using the straight edged
shovel, remove the rest of the sod
that fills the wings of the butterfly
to a depth of 6” to 12”. Loosen
up the soil inside the wings with
either a spade or tiller. This is
also a good time to add any soil
amendments such as compost,
lime, and slow release fertilizer.
Fill the wings with a good garden
soil blend until you are about 2”
from the top of the sod.
Step 8: Outline the wings using
the pavers or some other type of
edging materials. This will give
you a weed control edge for
spraying or mowing. Then bring
the soil level inside the wings up
to the top of the pavers.
Step 9: Plant the butterfly
garden, mulch and keep the
garden watered. Enjoy your
Butterfly, Butterfly Garden!
Butterfly Garden Maintenance:
Once the garden is planted, water it at least once or twice a week depending on rain fall.
Keep the garden weeded. You may have some grass try to creep back into the garden from
the surrounding sod. If this is the case, carefully spot treat with Glyphosate herbicide (ex/
Roundup) (Be careful not to spray it on the plants in the garden as it will kill them.)
Try to use perennials plants as this will reduce purchasing new plants each year.
If you are using transplants, use a pre-emergence weed control like Preen. This will keep
weeds from sprouting in the garden. (It will also keep other seeds from sprouting so use only
with transplants and existing plants).
“Butterfly, Butterfly Garden” Project Plan by Doyle Keasal, Alabama Wildlife Federation & Alabama Cooperative Extension System For more Outdoor Classroom info visit the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s website at alabamawildlife.org. Page 5 of 5
Example Outdoor Classroom Project Plan: Butterfly, Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Garden Activity Ideas:
Math: During the creation of this garden, you can teach the students about symmetry as well as using
a grid to transfer information. Graph the number of blooms that are produced by the different plants.
Graph the number and species of butterflies that visit the garden.
Science: Study the life cycle of butterflies as well as learn about the different plants and the parts of a
flower.
Language Arts: Research different species of butterflies and write about butterflies through poetry
and creative writing.
Art: Photograph and draw pictures of the butterflies that visit the garden.
Conservation: Learn about butterfly migration such as the Monarch and how these species are
impacted during their travels. Follow the monarch butterflies’ migration on Journey North
(journeynorth.org).
Literature Connections: From Caterpillar to Butterfly By Deborah Heiligman (ISBN-
10:0590041436) and Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons (ISBN-10:0823409090)
Reference: Butterflies of Alabama by Paulette Ogard (ISBN-10:0817355952)
Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Themed Outdoor Classroom Butterfly Activities:
http://www.alabamawildlife.org/pages/?pageID=121#Butterfly%20Activities
o Pasta Butterfly (Grades: K-2) - Students listen to a story about the life cycle of the butterfly,
act out the life cycle stages, look for the life cycle stages in your outdoor classroom, and create
the life cycle stages on paper plates using pasta and markers.
o Butterfly Book (Grades: 3-5) - Students create a butterfly book where they will keep a journal
of their observations in the butterfly garden in your outdoor classroom site.
o How Many Butterflies (Grades: 3-5) - Students become "butterflies" as they look for one or
more components of butterfly habitat in your outdoor classroom site during this physically-
involved activity.
o Butterflies without Borders (Grades: 6-8) - Students observe butterflies in your outdoor
classroom site while searching for monarch butterflies, track the migration path of the
monarch, and send a "Symbolic Monarch Butterfly" and letter to students in Mexico.
o Bloomin Butterflies (Grades: K-12) - Students collect butterfly eggs or caterpillars in your
outdoor classroom, rear them indoors, and then release the adult butterflies in the outdoor
classroom site.
The Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program is a partnership between:
Alabama Cooperative
Extension System Alabama Wildlife Federation Alabama Department of
Conservation & Natural
Resources