Oregano October 1, 2016

October 2016

Summer has just slipped by, and it’s time for a general pruning and fall cleanup at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden. Digging out all the goldenrod always seems an endless task in itself. Then the Korean Lilac must be protected from the deer because they just love eating all the flower buds in the spring; we must mulch with straw between the shrubs, and many other things, – so much to do, so little time!

The chief gardener for this year is Jessah Hodgins, and many of you will have met her. Just when it looked as though summer was well and truly over Jessah pointed out a Red Admiral 2 days ago. A very nice surprise. We also have seen a pair of Mockingbirds in the garden for the past week, they are very quiet and shy; busy eating the Elderberries and other fruit.

The major task this summer was completing all the new panels on the kiosk. We were lucky to get a Trillium Grant which covered the costs, because it would have been quite beyond our means. Michelle Sharp took almost all the photographs and did the design – what would the Garden do without her?

The Awards Ceremony for the Photo Contest took place on September 24 at the Air Force Club. The award winners are posted on this web site here  or under UBG photo competition drop menu. The photos are terrific and if you have not seen them already you will enjoy looking at them. Next year the Photo Contest will run for a longer period, beginning in Mid June and ending in early September.

Monarch hiding in Gooseneck Loosestrife October 1 2016

The good news for the fall is that Jessah is going to be the chief gardener again next year, plus she will be taking on additional tasks, such as keeping the web site up-to-date, helping with the Educational Programme and running the Photo Contest. Michelle will take photos once every week or so through the winter, and we shall be posting them, to give us a boost through the long months ahead.

Look forward to seeing you all next year!

JC

Thanks to a generous grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation the old panels on the UBG kiosk have been replaced with colourful new ones.  The beautiful eye-catching new panels have been designed by Michelle Sharp who also took almost all the photos.

Click here to see more!

The UBG’s newly updated kiosk

Great Spangled Fritillary
July 9, 2016
Photo by Michelle Sharp

Welcome to the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, in 2016!

This year we hope to once again be hosting a Summer Programme on Saturdays during August and September, as well as a Photo Contest from mid July until the end of August. We will also be publishing more brochures on specific subjects; continuing the revamp of the kiosk; starting new plantings and new signage. We will update you all on our progress as it happens.

At the moment we are just waiting for the rain to stop for a few days so we can begin our Spring cleanup. However, before we move into complete Spring mode, we thought you would like to see some photos taken during the winter and early 2016, these are posted on the site and all were taken by Michelle Sharp.

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is hosting a free workshop,  by Dragonfly and Damselfly expert Brenda Van Ryswyk .“Dragonflies & Their Kin: Masters of Air & Water” will take place on Saturday August 15 at 11am.

Dragonflies and Damselflies are exciting to watch, with their extraordinary displays of speed and agility in the air. However, don’t be deceived by their beauty, because they are also very powerful hunters and gobble up scores of smaller insects as they zip through the air.

Brenda Van Ryswyk is known for her ability to spot and identify dragonflies. She is also an excellent teacher and holds workshops across Ontario.  The workshop is suitable for young and old, and everyone is guaranteed to leave with their eyes opened to the remarkable lives of dragonflies.

The workshop will proceed in rain or shine. In case of rain, the workshop will be held with a slide show, in the Hamilton Airforce Club, adjacent to the garden.

Please bring a chair.

The Summer Series is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

Wildflower expert, Dean Gugler, will be giving a workshop at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden on Saturday August 1^st at 11am

Dean has been a dedicated volunteer for 12 years in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanical Gardens and has committed over 30 years of his life to learning and teaching others about wild flowers. Dean is author of “What’s That Flower?” and is credited with the discovery of two wild flower species never before encountered in the area.

The workshop takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday August 1.

The workshop will proceed in rain or shine. In case of rain, the workshop will be held in the Hamilton Airforce Club, adjacent to the garden.

The Summer Series 2015 is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

The Summer Series at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden kicks off with a Guided Butterfly & Bird Identification with experienced naturalist, Matt Mills.

Matt is well known locally for his eagle eyes, and extraordinary facility for finding and identifying the smallest butterfly or the most elusive bird.

The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday July 25 at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, Dundas.  Please bring a chair.

If it rains the walk will be cancelled.

The Summer Series is funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.

Saturday July 25^th – Saturday September 5th

The Urquhart Butterfly Garden was fortunate to obtain a grant from the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation, in order to hold a summer educational programme.  The programme will include the popular bird and butterfly identification walks through the Garden with Matt Mills.

This promises to be a great year for butterflies. Milbert’s Tortoiseshells are now a common sight, Monarch butterflies are already visiting the milkweed, and many other species of butterfly have been seen.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, by Doug Welch

Summer is drawing to a close, and on Saturday Matt Mills will give his final guided walk of the season. Migrant butterflies and birds are moving through and you might see something really special. The Guided Walk takes about an hour and begins at 11am on Saturday September 13th. Please bring a chair. If it rains the walk is canceled.

This event is part of the UBG’s Summer Series

The Summer series has been funded by the Dougher Fund of the Hamilton Community Foundation.