Villagers gathered to celebrate Earth Day on Wednesday at Lake Sumter Market Square.
The event was sponsored by the Villages Recreation and Parks Department.
The Earth Day celebration featured for basic, displays of native plants, information on both gardening and butterfly habitat. The event included information on native ground cover plants and how the proper choice of plants can reduce both heating and cooling costs while saving money on your water bill.
Sue Allie of the Villages Butterfly Gardens Club described her passion for butterflies. She has been active in aiding butterflies for more than 20 years. The Villages Butterfly Gardens Club members have teamed up with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church located at 231 Lake Griffin Road in Lady Lake to create a butterfly garden on the church grounds. Allie has raised butterflies in her Village of Sabal Chase as well as helped others with setting up Butterfly habitat.
Stephen Turnipseed gave a lecture to the crowd on Native Plants in the Landscape and explained the advantages of native plants for ground cover. His talk was followed by Alycyn Culbertson who spoke on how to attract butterflies to your garden. She was followed by Lisa Sanderson who spoke on the importance of trees and their benefits to both society and the homeowner. Sanderson also spoke on how to manage pests sensibly.
The lovers of orchids had their own tent which was filled with beautiful orchids. Club member Eileen Stilwell explained how big the original club became so that it has split into three clubs, one in the north, central and south parts of the Villages. There will be an auction of Orchids this Saturday at the Leesburg Administration building in downtown Leesburg. It begins at noon.
