Monarch butterflies are a lovely addition to any garden. Children love them and observing them is a great way of learning about life cycles. And the best way to attract and feed monarchs is by growing a swan plant. Plant your swan plant in full sun in a corner of the garden. Remember to wait two to three weeks for the plant to get established and any residual spray to disappear before putting any caterpillars on it. Once you’ve got some caterpillars try to limit it to 2-3 per plant. Too many caterpillars will eat the whole plant!
Maraetai Beach School has a wonderful Butterfly Sanctuary behind room 11 and 12 where our juniors enjoy watching this wonderful life-cycle.
