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By COLLETTE CAPRARA

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Butterflies may not grow on trees, but it's definitely possible to plant a butterfly garden.

This weekend for First Saturday in the Garden at the Belmont estate, members of the Master Gardeners Association of the Greater Rappahannock Area will be on site to show just how it's done and how it works.

Plants are carefully selected for a butterfly garden in accord with the appetites of various species of butterflies, which are attracted by the nectar, and the larvae, which like to chomp on their leaves.

"Butterflies perform a service in our environment just like bees do," said Terry Drew, a MGAGRA volunteer who helped plant Belmont's garden four years ago. "This gives children an opportunity to see how that all mingles together."

Belmont's butterfly garden was created in the form of a butterfly and includes zinnias, black-eyed Susans, Shasta daisies, fennel and milkweed. Bright-winged visitors include monarchs, tiger swallowtails and fritillaries.

Each spring, the garden is reviewed to incorporate new flowers, and the pathways are refurbished.

"It's so good to get kids outside and be introduced to the different plants, critters, and insects that are all around us," said Ann Gorrell, the association's First Saturday liaison. "It's amazing to see their eyes brighten as they touch this or that plant and smell its fragrance. It's an all-senses experience of the real world."

Members of the Virginia Master Naturalists program will also be on site to lead tours along the creekside walking path and through the woods and fields of the estate.

In addition to the First Saturday activities, guests will have an opportunity to participate in one of Belmont's ongoing Summer Family Tours, which are especially designed to elicit young visitors' interaction and exploration.

The tours will include the studio where internationally acclaimed artist Gari Melchers painted and the 1790s Georgian house he and his wife, Corinne, shared.

"We wanted to provide a unique experience where the children had input about what they wanted to explore," said Michelle Dolby, Belmont's educational coordinator.