Butterflies in the Botanical Gardens
Bernhard Tessman was one of the German rocket scientists who came to Huntsville and now call it home. The Tessman Butterfly House is a legacy to he and his wife. It is open May through September and is a delight to youngsters of all ages. The Butterfly House features at least 6 or 7 varieties of hundreds of butterflies native to the Southeast. The Garden receives weekly butterfly shipments of adults and chrysalis (pupa stage) from a butterfly rancher. They feed the adults, cool them, drop them in a small envelope, place them in a packing box and ship them overnight to the Garden. A new project at the Garden allows you to be a part of the Butterfly Release. For $25 per butterfly, you can honor or remember a special person by having a butterfly released in his or her name. They also receive a 5"x7" frameable butterfly print and notification that you are honoring them.
New York City may have it's "Cows on Parade" but Huntsville has "Butterflies on Parade." These are plastic sculptures that were painted by local artists and can be seen around the Garden and at some businesses. "Roofing Butterfly" is perched on the roof of Tip Top Roofing, "Butterfly Butterfly" is inside Mason Jewelers, and "Born on the 4th of July" is nesting at Big Spring Park lagoon, near the Art Museum. Check around the city to see if you can stop others. All butterflies are due back to the Garden in October for "Fall Family Days."
Annual events at the Garden include the Spring Plant Sale, the "Tour of Elegant Gardens," the "Of Food and Flowers" dinners, Cornucopia, the Teddy Bear Tea Party, the Galaxy of Lights Christmas Drive, Fern Festival, Daylily Festival, Easter Egg Hunt, Fall Daylily Sale, plus many others. A new feature of family membership allows you to include all your grandchildren under the age of 18. So, stop by for a short visit with the children or grandchildren, bring a friend to lunch in the tea room, or come in your "grubbies" and participate in a little gardening therapy as a volunteer. No matter what your interests or time allotment, you'll find a wealth of opportunities at the Huntsville-Madison County Botanical Garden.
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