Learning Opportunity - PreSchool Children

Matzke Park Butterfly Garden and Learning Center                 We invite your Day-Care classes for ages 4-7 to a free forty-five minute program on the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly.              A Butterfly Garden Program                         Presented by             Norchester Garden Club Each class lasts 45 minutes: A story in the Gazebo by Catherine the Caterpillar; a guided walk in the garden to identify plants and perhaps find a feeding caterpillar; a short craft. Two teachers must accompany each group of seven children. Reservations Required. Times : 9:00 am,  10:00 am,  11:00 am Deadline for making reservations is April 17, 2017 noon.       Reserve by email:     jyfitzgerald@comcast.net       Phone: 281-469-3173   I have caller ID so please identify yourself when calling Available Dates: April 24, Monday  9:00, 10:00, 11:00 April 25, Tuesday  9:00, 10:00, 11:00 May 2, Tuesday     9:00, 10:00, 11:00 May 5, Friday        9:00, 10:00, 11:00 After you have made a reservation I will send you a required release form to be returned to me with the names of the teachers who will be bringing the children. There will be no rain date. Matzke Park Entrance is on Jones Road, opposite McDonalds. The garden is beyond the building. There is a large playground structure near the garden. There are benches and picnic tables near the garden as well as rest rooms in the building. Norchester Garden Club is a 501 C3 organization, and any contribution is tax deductible. Please visit the Butterfly Garden Blog:  www.matzkebutterflygarden.blogspot.com   or email:  abcs.park@att.net

Garden Drawing Winner

Norchester Garden Club had it's yearly Matzke Park Butterfly Photo and Day Care Drawing Contest. 

This beautiful art work received the People's  Choice Award for drawing.  The artist is Arielle.  Congratulations Arielle, a really good good job. 

Each participant  received a certificate. The Crayons to Computers Day Care received a book about Monarch Butterflies. No photos were received this year for the contest.

35 bags of Mulch spread for Matzke Butterfly Garden

With the cooler weather, we had lots of help this morning weeding, spreading mulch at the Matzke Butterfly Garden.  Janet,Georgeine, Joan, Bill, Tim, Cathy, Carol and also Girl Scouts! Yep! Girl Scout Troupe 100203 and ladies came to learn and help.  Thank you everyone for your great efforts as the garden is looking terrific!

Janet in the weeds with the Girl Scouts!

 Tim talks with Girl Scout about the History and People of the Garden.

Look how lovey the Button Bush in the front walk of the garden looks all cleaned up!

If you enjoy the garden, please sign up for the Kroger Community Rewards Program!  All monies go to maintain the garden.   If you have joined the Kroger Reward Program then on each of your grocery receipts you will notice " 20016-20017 Kroger Community Rewards"  "You are contributing to Association For Better Community Schools". Thank you, ladies of Norchester Garden Club for your support and work effort to keep the garden beautiful.  ABCS (Association For Better Community Schools) is the original organization that saved Matzke Park from being a strip mall. 35 bags of mulch were purchased with the help of the Kroger Community Rewards Program.

Fun Time at the Norchester Garden Club Horticultural Show

Many members of the Norchester Garden Club participated in our Horticultural Show. Meda supplied the theme and decorations for Alice in Wonderland. She was the Red Queen!

Our Expert Judge Cheryl taught ladies the finer points and tricks of presenting show quality plants.  We had a wonderful first time!

 We had a fine selection of plants, wreaths, and cut flowers.

Thick Stem Begonias, non flowering plants

Cactus

Adorable

Educational, see the spinach vine?

Cut Flowers

We had a good time, come join the fun!

Good News from Kroger

Kroger Rewards has send a check for $107.85 for the period of 5-29-2016 - 8-27-2016.  Thank you to the 13 households that buy their groceries at Kroger and support Matzke Butterfly Garden.  With your help we have been able to make major repairs to the irrigation system at Matzke Butterfly Garden.  The Norchester Garden Club thanks you!

The Norchester Garden Club has a yearly challenge project for it's membership.  For the 2016 contest members were challenged to design one of Norchester's End Caps.  Georgeine and Cathy's design won first place.  Then the April floods came and the project was put on hold.  This morning their design was put in place. Tommy, Chuck, and Carol helped as well.

Working in the Matzke Park Garden early morning.  Great job of cleaning out the front bed with the help of the Precinct 4 guys Jonathan and Matt with Cathy C and Carol B.