Butterfly Garden Tours Set to Begin

COURT HOUSE — Join naturalist and butterfly expert Patricia Sutton for her 19th season of spectacular private butterfly garden tours beginning this weekend. The tours will take place Friday through Sunday, July 16, 17 and 18 and include the best butterfly gardens throughout Cape May County.
These tours, sponsored by the Nature Center of Cape May, are a once in a lifetime opportunity to see private, wildlife-friendly gardens from Cape May Point north to Eldora.
Learn the magic combination of native nectar plants and caterpillar plants that makes a garden especially attractive to butterfly species such as Monarchs, Black and Tiger Swallowtails, Red Admirals, Buckeyes, American Ladies and more.
Design ideas and new wildlife plants will be showcased while tour participants are entertained by a blizzard of butterflies and even hummingbirds.
Friday’s tour on July 16 will feature gardens in and near Cape May Point and Cape May City. Saturday’s tour on July 17 focuses on gardens from North Cape May to Rio Grande, and the final tour on Sunday, July 18 will visit gardens from Goshen to Dennisville and Eldora, including guide Pat Sutton’s own garden in Goshen.
Each day begins at 10 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m. The fee per day is $40, discounted to $30 for New Jersey Audubon members. Discounted weekend tour packages are available at $75 for members and $100 for nonmembers.
The “Private Butterfly Garden Tour Series” will be offered again August 13-15 and September 10-12. The gardens will change dramatically from beginning of summer through fall, so plan to join parts or all of the three weekend tours if possible.
The tours still have spaces available, however, participation is limited to 25 per day. Call the nature center now at 609-898-8848 to reserve your spot and get further details. Friday and Saturday participants are asked to meet at the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Ave., in Cape May. The Sunday tour will begin at the Cape May Bird Observatory, 600 Rt. 47 North, near Goshen.
Don’t miss this unique chance to experience 22 of Cape May County’s finest private gardens under the guidance of a personable and enthusiastic expert.