Butterfly and Hummingbird Day: Remembering Those We Love and Creating a Garden Full of Life

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Everyone who knows me knows that butterflies have a very special place in my heart. My daughter Suzanne passed away when she was just 16 years old. Over the years, I’ ve come to think of her as a butterfly flying free. That is why butterflies have become such an important part of Greatful Moments and why you will find butterflies throughout our website and the different pieces of our family story.

But the butterfly isn’t the only symbol that means something to us. We have our frog because FROG means Fully Rely on God. We have the cross because our faith is an important part of who we are and because we love the Lord. We have the video game controller because it represents Charlie. And we have the butterfly for Suzanne, flying free.

So when I discovered Butterfly and Hummingbird Day, is celebrated every October 3, I knew I wanted to stop and learn a little more about it. I know butterflies. But hummingbirds? I realized I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I should!

And one of the things I love about homeschooling is that you never really stop learning. Sometimes Mom gets to be the student, too. So today, I am learning about hummingbirds. And I thought maybe you would like to learn with me.

Why Are Butterflies and Hummingbirds Celebrated Together? I wondered the same thing. What exactly do butterflies and hummingbirds have in common? The simplest answer is flowers, nectar and pollination which could become a #Homeschool lesson.

Both butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to flowers that provide nectar. As they move from flower to flower, they become part of the pollination process. Of course, they are very different creatures. A butterfly is an insect. A hummingbird is a bird.

A butterfly generally lands on a flower and uses its long proboscis to drink nectar. A hummingbird can hover in the air while using its bill and tongue to reach nectar from flowers. And there is something else they have in common that I really like.

They can both turn a backyard garden into a nature classroom. You can sit outside and watch them. You can learn which flowers they prefer. You can photograph them. You can keep track of which ones visit. You can learn about their life cycles.

And if you are homeschooling, you suddenly have science, writing, art and nature study happening right outside your door. That sounds like a pretty good #homeschool day to me. What do you think?

What Does Butterfly and Hummingbird Day Mean?– I couldn’t find a source explaining one particular person or organization that created Butterfly and Hummingbird Day or a specific historical reason these two animals were paired together.

What we do know is that the day is observed annually on October 3 and has become an opportunity to appreciate these beautiful creatures and learn more about them. And honestly, I think that is reason enough. Sometimes we don’t need a complicated reason to celebrate something. Sometimes we can simply stop and appreciate God’s creation.

Butterflies Mean Something Different to Everyone. For me, butterflies will always remind me of Suzanne. When I see one flying through the yard, I think about my daughter flying free. But butterflies don’t have to mean the same thing to everyone.

My best friend Debbie has her own special connection with a yellow butterfly. She believes that when she sees one, it can be a reminder connected to her pastor, Brother Kelly, thinking about her. Someone else may see a butterfly and think about a parent.

Someone may think about a grandparent. Someone may simply see one of the most beautiful insects in the garden. And that’s okay. We don’t have to tell someone else what their butterfly means. Sometimes a butterfly can simply be a beautiful little reminder that life is full of things we don’t always understand but can still appreciate.

And Now I’m Learning About Hummingbirds because I have to admit something. I don’t know nearly as much about hummingbirds as I do butterflies. I know they are beautiful. I know they move incredibly fast. I know they can hover. And I know they are fascinating to watch.

But today I learned something that made me stop and say, “Really?” Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward. Texas Parks and Wildlife confirms this amazing fact. They also eat nectar and tiny insects and spiders. Those insects provide protein that nectar alone doesn’t provide.

Hummingbirds can consume an enormous amount of food relative to their tiny bodies, and when conditions are cold or food is scarce, they can enter a state called torpor, dramatically lowering their body temperature and conserving energy.

I think that makes them even more interesting. They aren’t just pretty little birds zipping around a flower garden. They are incredibly specialized little creatures. Are Hummingbirds Local to Texas? This was one of my biggest questions.

Yes! Hummingbirds are absolutely found in Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife says that at least 17 different hummingbird species have been recorded in Texas. Different species occur in different parts of the state and at different times of year.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is particularly important for those of us in eastern Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife says Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are found throughout eastern Texas and that they migrate through Texas in large numbers in the fall. So yes, there is a very real possibility that hummingbirds could become visitors to our yard. And that got me thinking about our family.

My fmily will be ceating a Memorial Garden for My Father-in-Law once it cools down and knowing that makes Butterfly and Hummingbird Day even more special to me this year. Were working on building a memorial for my father-in-law in my mother-in-law’s yard.

My mother-in-law already has many, many bird feeders. She loves having birds come into her yard, and she has created plenty of places for them to eat. So now I’m thinking about how we can make that yard even more welcoming to butterflies and hummingbirds.

Wouldn’t it be beautiful to have flowers growing around the memorial and see butterflies flying through the garden? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to look outside and see a hummingbird hovering over a flower or visiting a feeder? And wouldn’t it be special to know that something we planted will continue growing and bringing life into that yard year after year?

That is what I love about a memorial garden. It isn’t only about remembering someone we lost. It can also be about life continuing. Flowers bloom. Birds return. Butterflies emerge. Hummingbirds migrate and come back. Seeds grow into plants. And memories remain.

I wanted to share my hop for our Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden which I would love for this to become a project our family work on together. I want to learn which flowers will grow well in our area. I want to find plants that attract butterflies. I want plants that hummingbirds enjoy, too. And I want to create a garden where we can sit and watch what comes to visit.

The Native Plant Society of Texas recommends a number of native plants for North Texas butterfly gardens, including Gregg’s blue mistflower, Turk’s cap, autumn sage, Texas lantana, purple coneflower, gayfeather, mealy blue sage, frostweed, frogfruit and Maximilian sunflower.

And I noticed something that made me smile. Frogfruit. Of course, we have a frog as one of our Greatful Moments symbols because FROG reminds us to Fully Rely on God.So maybe frogfruit belongs in our memorial garden, too because my family loves frogs. What about your family?

One of the things I am learning is that we don’t necessarily have to create a separate butterfly garden and a separate hummingbird garden. There are plants that can help welcome both. Some possibilities for a North Texas garden include: Turk’s cap — Its tubular red flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, and it can handle the Texas heat.

Texas lantana — A native Texas plant that provides nectar for butterflies and other pollinators. Flame acanthus — Sometimes called hummingbird bush, this Texas native produces red-orange tubular flowers and attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies. Coral honeysuckle — Its long, tubular red flowers are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, while also providing value to butterflies and bees. Frogfruit — A North Texas native that can serve as a host plant for several butterflies. Gregg’s mistflower — One of the native plants recommended by the Native Plant Society of Texas for North Texas butterfly gardens. Mealy blue sage and autumn sage — Both are among the North Texas native plants recommended for butterfly habitat.

Texas Parks and Wildlife also lists plants such as Turk’s cap, coral honeysuckle, trumpet vine, bee balm, cardinal flower and scarlet sage among plants that can provide food for hummingbirds. Of course, before planting anything, I want to make sure it is appropriate for the exact spot, amount of sun, soil and water conditions in my mother-in-law’s yard and that it’s easy for her to take care of on her own.

Where to put a Hummingbird Feeders and What do you put in them was something else I needed to learn. You don’t need a special recipe. Texas Parks and Wildlife recommends a simple mixture of: 1 part plain white sugar and 4 parts water

They recommend boiling the mixture to slow fermentation, and they say there is no need to add red food coloring. The feeder itself can provide the visual attraction. That is good news because I would rather keep things simple. And since my mother-in-law already has so many bird feeders, adding a hummingbird feeder could become another way for her to enjoy the wildlife visiting her yard. The important part is keeping the feeder clean and changing the nectar regularly. We want to invite hummingbirds into the yard, but we also want to provide them with a safe, clean food source.

Fun fact: that would make a great homeschool trivia question for children: What bird can fly backward? Answer: The hummingbird!

And here’s another one.

Fact: Hummingbirds don’t just fly forward and backward. Their specialized flight allows them to hover, which means they can stay in essentially the same place in the air while feeding from a flower. That tiny bird outside your window is doing something most birds simply cannot do.

Since we have our 10-Minute Reading Challenge, I couldn’t talk about learning something new without finding a book. One book that caught my attention is Behold the Hummingbird by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. And yes, I noticed the author’s name, too. Suzanne. That immediately made me think Suzzane is floating by.

The book is a 32-page nonfiction picture book about hummingbirds and their remarkable abilities. It explains things such as their ability to hover, fly backward and even fly upside down. The book was published by Peachtree in 2024 and is recommended for preschool through third grade. It has also received recognition including an Orbis Pictus Honor and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year designation.

For younger children, this could make a wonderful 10-minute reading activity. For older children, you could use the book as a starting point and then continue researching hummingbirds in Texas. And honestly, even though Charlie isn’t little anymore, I still think there is something wonderful about opening a children’s nature book and learning something you didn’t know before.

Learning doesn’t have an age limit. Which is why you will find this book inside our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List as I help load the Sleigh I’m hopping Santa will pack a copy of this book for my family. Would you like a copy of this book as well? If so have you been good so I can tell Santa to bring you a copy?

A Butterfly and Hummingbird Nature Study; If you are homeschooling, or simply have a child who loves nature, here’s an easy activity to do after reading about butterflies and hummingbirds. Sit outside for 10 minutes. Don’t worry about making it complicated. Take a piece of paper and write down:

Date: __________________________

Where were we? __________________________

What did we see? __________________________

Butterfly or hummingbird? __________________________

What color was it? __________________________

What flower or feeder did it visit? __________________________

How long did we watch? __________________________

One thing I learned: __________________________

And if you don’t see anything? That’s okay! Nature study isn’t about making an animal appear on command. Sometimes the lesson is learning to be patient. Once the memorial Garden is done I would like to start a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden Journal that my family and Granny Sherry can fill out together.

We can write down the date when we plant something. Then we can record the first butterfly. The first hummingbird. The first flower. The first photograph. The first time we identify a species we didn’t recognize. Over time, that little notebook could become part garden journal, part science notebook and part family memory book. And maybe someday we will look back and say: “Remember when we planted this?”

I think there is another reason this holiday feels right for me. Both butterflies and hummingbirds are small. You can miss them if you aren’t paying attention. A butterfly can fly past the window and be gone before you ever notice it. A hummingbird can appear for just a few seconds and disappear again. But if you slow down, you see them. And sometimes slowing down is exactly what we need.

Life gets busy. We work. We homeschool. We clean. We run errands. We worry about tomorrow. We make plans. We take care of everybody else. And then something as small as a butterfly landing on a flower can make us stop. For me, those moments often bring Suzanne to mind. For someone else, it might bring a different loved one to mind. And that’s okay.

As we build my father-in-law’s memorial in my mother-in-law’s yard, I don’t know what will eventually visit. Maybe it will be a butterfly. Maybe it will be a hummingbird. Maybe a cardinal will land nearby. Maybe a completely different bird will discover the feeders. Maybe there will be flowers blooming that bring in bees and other pollinators. We don’t know. But that is part of what makes planting a garden so special. We plant it. We water it. We care for it. And then we wait. We don’t get to decide exactly what will come. We simply create a welcoming place. I think there is something beautiful about that.

I mentioned earlier that I know more about cardinals than I do hummingbirds. I’ve always heard people say that when a red cardinal appears, it can feel like a loved one who has passed is nearby. There isn’t a scientific way to prove that a cardinal is carrying a message from someone who has died. But I don’t think that means the moment can’t be meaningful.

We all have memories and traditions that help us remember people we love. For one person it may be a cardinal. For another it may be a butterfly. For another it may be a song, a flower, a scent or a particular place. For me, butterflies are forever connected with Suzanne. And maybe, as we build this memorial garden, hummingbirds will become part of our family’s story, too.

To celebrate Butterfly and Hummingbird Day, I wanted to create something children could actually use. So we’re sharing a Butterfly and Hummingbird Coloring Sheet that gives children a chance to color both creatures together. You could use it as a simple coloring activity. Or turn it into a little science lesson.

Have your child color the butterfly and hummingbird. Then ask: What colors do you think a real butterfly might be? What colors might you see on a hummingbird? Where does a hummingbird get nectar? What does a butterfly use to drink nectar?

What flowers could we plant? Have you ever seen a hummingbird? Have you ever seen a butterfly? What did it look like? And perhaps the most important question: What does nature remind you to be thankful for? For me its Frogs & Butterflys.

Did you know you can make your qwn Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden You don’t need a huge yard to get started. You can start with a flower bed. You can use containers. You can add a few native plants. You can provide a hummingbird feeder. You can leave a little space where butterflies can rest. And you can learn as you go.

The Native Plant Society of Texas has extensive resources for choosing native plants and creating habitat for butterflies and other pollinators. Its North Texas recommendations include plants selected specifically for butterfly habitat, and its resources can help gardeners choose plants appropriate for their growing conditions.

That is one of the things I like about using native plants. We’re not simply buying something because it looks pretty at the garden center. We’re thinking about what actually belongs in our part of Texas and what can provide food and habitat for the wildlife we hope to welcome.

I don’t know exactly what our memorial garden will look like yet. We’re still building it. But I know what I hope it feels like. I hope it feels peaceful. I hope it feels alive. I hope my mother-in-law can sit outside and enjoy the birds she already loves.

I hope butterflies discover the flowers. I hope hummingbirds discover the garden and feeders. I hope family members can sit together there and talk about the people we love. And I hope that as the years go by, the garden becomes part of our family’s story.

Because memorials don’t always have to be made of stone. Sometimes a memorial can be a tree. Sometimes it can be flowers. Sometimes it can be a garden. Sometimes it can be a butterfly flying through the sunshine. Sometimes it can be a hummingbird hovering over a flower. And sometimes it can simply be a quiet place where we remember.

I started today knowing quite a bit about butterflies and very little about hummingbirds. I learned that Texas has hummingbirds. I learned that hummingbirds can fly backward. I learned that they eat both nectar and tiny insects. I learned that they can enter torpor when they need to conserve energy. I learned that there are many plants that can help make a Texas yard welcoming to butterflies and hummingbirds.

And I learned that I have another little garden project to look forward to. But perhaps the biggest thing I learned is something I already knew from homeschooling Suzanne and Charlie: There is always something new to learn. At 61, I am still learning.

I am still asking questions. I am still planting things I have never planted before. I am still discovering birds I don’t know much about. And I am still finding ways to turn ordinary days into learning opportunities. That is one of the things I have always loved about homeschooling. The lesson doesn’t have to end when the school books are put away.

Sometimes the lesson is sitting in the backyard. Sometimes it is watching a butterfly. Sometimes it is listening for a bird. Sometimes it is planting a flower and waiting to see who comes to visit. And sometimes the lesson is simply remembering someone we love.

Today, on Butterfly and Hummingbird Day, I am thankful for butterflies. I am thankful for hummingbirds I am only beginning to understand. I am thankful for the people whose lives have shaped our family. I am thankful for memories. I am thankful for my mother-in-law and the yard she has already made welcoming to birds. And I am thankful that we have the opportunity to build something beautiful in memory of my father-in-law.

I hope that someday, when we sit in that yard, a butterfly will fly past us. I hope a hummingbird will stop at a flower. And I hope we will pause for just a moment and smile. Because sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest memories.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Greatful Moments Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden Challenge

This year: Learn about butterflies and hummingbirds.

Next year: Plant flowers that welcome them.

Then: Watch, photograph, identify and record the visitors.

And always: Take a moment to be grateful for the little things God puts in our path

Sources and Further Learning:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Information about Texas hummingbirds, migration, diet and the remarkable ability to fly backward.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Hummingbirds: Additional information for young naturalists, including hummingbird-friendly flowering plants.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Hummingbird Feeder FAQ: Information about preparing hummingbird nectar.

Native Plant Society of Texas: Resources for selecting native plants and creating wildlife-friendly gardens.

Native Plant Society of Texas — North Texas Butterfly Plants: A list of native plants recommended for North Texas butterfly habitat.

Behold the Hummingbird by Suzanne Slade: A nonfiction children’s book about the remarkable abilities of hummingbirds.

Would you like to go on a walk with me to look for Butterfly’s and Hummingbirds Buttercup?

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates