With warmer temperatures and the landscape in bloom, butterflies soon will fill the air around central Indiana.
To get ready for their arrival, organizers of the Johnson County Garden Celebration have loaded the event with information about the fluttering insects.
The Johnson County Garden Club and Purdue Master Gardener Program of Johnson County, which organizes the celebration, has planned free seminars by four local experts who will give attendees a well-rounded understanding about supporting butterfly populations.
The garden celebration will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 7 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.
Reni Winter, owner of Winterhaven Wildflowers & Native Plant Preserve, will help people create their own monarch butterfly waystation in their own yard. To help people identify common butterflies, Jeff Belth will share his expertise as a photographer and author of “Butterflies of Indiana: A Field Guide.”
Amanda Smith from Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society will assist gardeners in understanding the historic uses of native plants, while Tony Branam from the Natural Resources Conservation Service will discuss home garden cover crops.
But the butterfly programs are just part of the yearly ode to gardening.
Vendors will be on hand to sell shovels, hoes and all of the equipment needed for a bountiful garden. People can get information about joining the Johnson County Garden Club, or speak with Purdue Master Gardeners.
Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be available for purchase throughout the day. Tree saplings and instructions will be given away while supplies last.
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Johnson County Garden Celebration
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 7
Where: Scott Hall on the Johnson County fairgrounds, 100 Fairgrounds St., Franklin
Who: Sponsored by the Johnson County Garden Club and Purdue Master Gardeners Program of Johnson County
Admission: $2
Schedule of seminars:
- 9:30 a.m.: “Creating a Monarch Waystation,” Reni Winter, Winterhaven Wildflowers & Native Plant Preserve
- 10:30 a.m.: “Identifying Common Butterflies,” Jeff Belth, photographer and author of “Butterflies of Indiana: A Field Guide”
- 12:30 p.m.: “Historic Uses of Native Plants,” Amanda Smith, Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society
- 1:30 p.m.: “Home Garden Cover Crops,” Tony Branam, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Admission: $2 per person.
For more information, go to johnsoncountyfair.com/garden-celebration.
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