My love for butterflies grew exponentially after my daughter was born in 2016, as the beautiful butterfly took on a new meaning for my family. The joy of seeing them flutter into our Southwest Florida garden is truly special. We continue to find ways to extend our garden, complete with host plants for the caterpillars and nectar for the butterflies.

Daily visitors, who both lay eggs and drink nectar, include the monarch butterfly, gulf fritillary butterfly, polydamas (gold rim) swallowtail butterfly, giant swallowtail, zebra longwing butterfly, tropical checkered skipper, great southern white, and recently the orange barred sulphur amd cloudless sulphur butterfly.

It’s fascinating to watch the life cycle of so many species, especially when that excitement radiates off my daughter in such a beautiful way.

In 2021 we began raising caterpillars, providing them with a space to live out their lifecycle, in a butterfly house my husband built. It’s been a great project, as now my family and I have the opportunity to witness the life cycle of many of the species that visit our butterfly garden. This project has also afforded us with the opportunity to introduce new species to our garden from obtaining eggs from a local nonprofit that protects, preserves and populates Florida butterflies.

It’s truly magical to have a newly emerged butterfly sit on our hand sometimes long enough to carry them into the garden and watch them take their first flight.

Our gardens have turned into a great passion, as we have transformed spaces with as many native plants to our area as possible. With the burst of colors intertwined with butterflies fluttering by, I catch myself either staring out the window, or sitting outside enjoying my surrounding.

This website began as a way to share the beauty we witness every day, complete with facts about the life cycle, and species of butterflies I continue to research. It has been a fascinating journey to learn more about the butterfly, as they truly are interesting insects. Be sure to check out the tabs above, complete with photographs, videos and information about the species we have witnessed from egg to butterfly. There is also a page called “butterfly house, garden posts,” which shares a daily insight of our gardens packed with information.

“Butterflies appear when angels are near.”