Butterfly Garden News

What is “natural”?

The reason I began this quest to find the meaning of “natural” is because I found the word running amuck in the food and cosmetics industry and I really wanted to get to the bottom of what can be considered truly “natural” and what couldn’t. After all, I am building a website […]

Working in a children’s garden, I have realized that some seeds are better than others for small hands. If you are working with children, here is a list of seeds their hands can easily handle.
Squash/Gourds
Beans
Peas
Sunflowers
Something to remember is that the larger the seed the deeper it will need to be planted. As a general rule, […]

Cob – A Natural Alternative
Photos / Article © 2009 Andrea Anderson
Cob has been used for centuries as a natural building material. A type of free form adobe, cob structures built hundreds of years ago are still standing in many parts of the world. It is both cheap and ecologically sound, not to mention strong. Made […]

For those out there who are lactose intolerant or just don’t do dairy for some other reason, we have compiled a list of alternative sources of calcium. We could tell you to just pop a supplement pill or to consume “calcium fortified” products but we here at Butterfly Gardens believe that the best way to […]

© 2007 Andrea Anderson
Sorghum sp. bicolor or “Broom Corn” is currently used in the creation flower arrangements, basketry and brooms, due to its color and structure. Although broom corn stems dry to be of a straw like color and consistency, the seeds can be quite colorful, ranging from different reds, oranges, yellows, purples to black. […]

Water is a vital element for life. Plants, animals and humans need water in order to survive. Around 60% of the human body is made up of water. Humans can live a few weeks without food but only a few days without water. The average human needs about 5 gallons a day to survive, […]

“Show me your garden and I shall tell you who you are.” ~ Alfred Austin
Gardens are personal. They are a reflection of who you are. The decisions you make in your garden often reflect the decisions you make in life. Take a good look at your garden and find out what it reveals about you.
Do […]

Most people think of pills, when they think of nutrient supplements. However, many people find pills hard to swallow (not only due to their size but due to what is in them or what they are made from). There is an easier way to supplement (add something to make it complete) your diet other than […]

Yes, it is time to start planning and planting your winter garden. Many people don’t realize you can garden in the winter but you can. In fact, there are many plants which actually thrive quite well in cool weather. (We have listed some of them below.) Winter is actually a wonderful time to plant, because […]

Mosquitoes are not just annoying. They carry a host of diseases ranging from West Nile Virus to Malaria. For many years, the answer to mosquito control was to spray and spray some more. However, there are ways of combating those pesky mosquitoes without having to poison yourself or your environment.
Create a pleasing environment for the […]