By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

The Chilton County Master Gardeners demo garden offers views of greenery, flowers, butterflies, and art to the public at no cost.

The garden has seasonal flowers, evergreen shrubs, landscape design, and even a one of a kind metal archway constructed by Ira Jones, master gardener and welder.

“At any season, there’s something there for people to enjoy,” said Sondra Henley, Project Chairman of the Demonstration Garden.

Henley has been a certified Master Gardener since 2006, but said she became more active in 2010. She was there when the garden was a square garden with rectangular beds and there was a demonstration every year for the expo, then they would leave the garden alone until the next year.

Now, the garden has a circular design and is maintained year-round. According to Henley, Jim Pitts was responsible for setting the change in motion as the Director of the Chilton Research and Extension Center.

Not only is the garden full of greenery and a seasonal rotation of flowers, but it is also certified by the North American Butterfly Association as a butterfly garden.

On the morning of Aug. 25, monarch butterflies fluttered around the garden as Harriett Jackson explained the requirements of being certified.

Jackson, who oversees the butterfly flowerbed, said the garden had to have a certain number of host plants and conditions suitable for butterflies to live in. The butterfly flowerbed section has plants that host caterpillars while they mature and give adults a place to lay their eggs. There are also spots in the garden for butterflies to get water, called muddles. Sometimes the gardeners add nutrients to the muddles for the butterflies.

“We are on the direct path for monarchs to go south on one of their routes,” said Jackson. “We will see them here through late September, maybe October.”

The garden is located at 120 County Road 756 in Clanton. Master Gardener classes will begin Jan. 25, 2017. Call the Chilton County Extension Office at (205)280-6268 for more information.