Ray Sander, President of the Delaware Botanic Gardens (DBG), announced the

37-acre gardens are in full peak summer bloom, and starting on Thursday, July

25 and running Thursday August 8^th and August 15th at 9:30 a.m. is the

 Butterflies & Blooms Class. Sander said, “This Butterflies & Blooms class is a

 family-friendly class that is both fun and educational. All are welcome.”

Stephen Pryce Lea, Deputy Executive Director said, “The summer breeze carries

 the hungry pollinators inland to the abundance of our DBG blooms. DBG is

 fortunate to have a well-established Piet Oudolf 2-acre meadow, with native

 plants that attract essential pollinators. We have seen an upturn in the

 numbers of bees and butterflies visiting the gardens and woodland trails.

 Now is the best time to visit.”

This program offers guests a chance to explore the Piet Oudolf Meadow in a

 new way, searching for and identifying the many butterfly species that take

 advantage of the nectar offered by the blooming perennials.  Monarchs,

 Spicebush Swallowtails, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, American Ladies, Painted

 Ladies, Variegated Fritillaries and Silver Spotted Skippers are some of the most

 frequent visitors to the Meadow.  Volunteer docents help guests identify the

 butterflies and their “favorite” nectar plants in the Meadow.  The necessary

 host plants, where hungry caterpillars eat their way to the next stage, are also

 discussed so that gardeners can be sure they are supporting the entire

 lifecycle of the butterflies they love.

Preregistration is required as there is a limited class size. This is a family

-friendly program welcoming butterfly lovers of all ages.   Members free

 admission and free class. Non-members admission $15 and free class.

 Children 16 and under, when accompanied by an adult, have free

 admission and free butterfly tour. Reserve tickets at delawaregardens.org.

Sheryl Swed, DBG Executive Director said, “In addition, on Friday July 26 and

 Friday August 30th is a special Summer Meadow Garden Tour at 11:30

 a.m.  The guided tour by Stephen Pryce Lea, DBG Deputy Executive Director,

is a leisurely stroll through the 2-acre Piet Oudolf Meadow. Learn about the

 benefits of growing native plants and the pollinators they attract. Members

 Free admission and free tour and Non-members admission $15 admission

 and free tour. Children 16 and under, when accompanied by an adult, have

 free admission and tour. Reserve tickets at delawaregardens.org.

The DBG is open to the public Thursdays through Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 4

 p.m. Guided Tours are available at 10 a.m.

The Delaware Botanic Gardens is located at 30220 Piney Neck Road, Dagsboro,

DE 19939. Go to www.delawaregardens.org.

The mission of the Delaware Botanic Gardens is to create a world-class,

 inspirational, educational, and sustainable public botanic garden in southern

 Delaware for the benefit and enjoyment of all.