Spring is the Time,
Kerby's is the Place

April 3, 2013   

9 out of 10 butterflies agree. Kerby's plants have the best nectar.

Thanks to everyone who came out for this past weekend's Easter Egg Hunt. Lots of kids managed to find 2000 eggs in about 15 minutes, and they are pretty good at finding them. We've only found three well-hidden eggs that were missed. It was fun to see so many families enjoying some time outdoors.

This week, Kerby's is all about butterflies. The workshop this Saturday is on butterfly gardening, where we'll talk about all of the common butterflies in our area and what you can plant to get them into your garden. Click here for a preview of some of our favorite plants and of course those are just the start. The tables at Kerby's are bursting with butterfly plants, just waiting to be a part of your butterfly garden. To keep track of all the butterflies you see, use Kerby's butterfly checklist. How many have you found? 

Happy Gardening, The Kerby's Nursery Family	Forward to a Friend Follow us on Facebook

In This Issue
Featured Plant

Bring on the Butterflies

Upcoming Events
Workshop:
Butterfly Gardening
Sat. Apr 6th at 10am

Lily of the Nile Are In
10" Pot - $12.99

Clearance Sale
Apple, Peach, Pear, Plum and Nectarine Trees
50% Off

While Supplies Last

Click to See
What's Just in
at Kerby's

Firespike $19.99 10" Pot

Featured Plant
Firespike
Odontonema strictum
 
The firespike is a large plant that loves part shade. It grow four to six feet tall and prefers four hours or less of direct sun. Its spikes of vibrant red flowers draw butterflies in from all over and give them a little break from the sun. They are especially good food for the zebra longwing, which prefers to hover in shady areas.

Bring on the Butterflies

It's easy to attract butterflies to your garden. For the basics, check out our butterfly handout and learn about some of the best plants for butterflies, and see below for some of the cool butterflies that you might see fluttering about in your garden.

Monarch - The monarch butterfly is one of the most common butterflies in our area. The host plant for the monarch is milkweed, so make sure that you include it in your butterfly garden. Did you know that monarch butterflies migrate all the way to Mexico in the winter?

 
Swallowtail - There are lots of different swallowtail butterflies, including the black swallowtail which lays its eggs on the herbs dill, fennel, rue and parsley, the pipevine and polydamus swallowtails which use dutchman's pipevine to lay their eggs and the giant swallowtail which lays its eggs on citrus. These butterflies come in many different mixes of black and yellow and are some of the most beautiful.

Sulphurs - A fast-flying yellow butterfly, there are many different types of sulphurs. Some are pale yellow and some like the orange-barred sulphur have beautiful orange colors in their wings. These butterflies lay their eggs on plants in the senna and cassia family. These large shrubs or small trees can make a great centerpiece in a butterfly garden.

Zebra Longwing - The state butterfly of Florida, this cool butterfly hangs out in shady areas under trees or large shrubs. You won't see it flying out in the hot sun too much. It lays its eggs on passionvine planted in the shade.

Gulf Fritillary - Another speedy little butterfly that is orange with white speckling. This butterfly flutters fast and high in sunny areas and lays its eggs on passion vine planted in the sun.
 

Upcoming Events

Workshop: Growing Roses in Florida
Saturday, April 13th at 10am  
Presented by the Tampa Rose Society

Ready, set, grow! Sure roses can be a challenge in Florida, but armed with the information from this workshop, presented by the Tampa Rose Society, you'll be on your way to growing healthy rose bushes that produce the loveliest roses on the block. As a bonus, Rose Society members will be at Kerby's until 1pm to answer questions and talk roses.

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Open Seven Days a Week
Monday - Saturday,  9:00am - 5:30pm
Sunday,  9:00am - 4:00pm