I absolutely love gardening. It’s my “me time” – it’s quiet, calming, and I find it super rewarding too. A few years ago I became obsessed with sunflowers. The first year the squirrels viciously attacked and ate them all. Over the years I’ve streamlined the process – I don’t plant them around fences where the squirrels have a launching pad, and I have a pup now who voluntarily is on squirrel patrol 24/7.
My gardening soon started revolving around pollinating plants so I could help attract the bees and butterflies. My son’s school across the street has a beehive on the roof and the summer it was installed my son was able to identify the bees that were from his school on our flowers.
This summer I’ve gone all out thanks to The Butterflyway Project through the David Suzuki Foundation. I applied to become a butterfly ranger, which meant I committed to planting a certain number of pollinator plants. They also help you connect with other butterfly rangers in your area – I’ve already arranged for a seed exchange with a neighbour. This year I have four kinds of sunflowers as well as wildflowers, pansies, lilies, bleeding hearts, thyme, and milkweed.
This project has introduced me to all kinds of unique gardening projects too. Ever heard of butterflyway canoes? Since 2013, Rangers have installed dozens of canoe gardens in communities across Canada. What began as a nod to Toronto’s buried waterways grew in popularity to become a nation-wide movement.
If you’d like more information on The Butterflyway Project, visit their website.
A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.