Monarch Butterfly Southwest Florida Butterfly Gardening Zebra Longwing Butterfly Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Polydamas Swallowtail Butterfly Queen Butterfly Monarch caterpillar zebra longwing caterpillar cloudless sulphur caterpillar eastern black swallowtail caterpillar giant swallowtail caterpillar gulf fritillary caterpillar polydamas swallowtail caterpillar black rim swallowtail caterpillar black rim swallowtail caterpillar queen caterpillar zebra longwing caterpillar

A few weeks ago I began a new project garden, inspiration I saw from another garden. That project – identifying plants with garden metal labels.

I have done two different fonts and today completed all 25 labels I received using my cricut machine.

It has been a great project as it has given me the opportunity to take inventory of what I have. The great part, I still have more plants to identify.

I have tried to plant natives in the garden, as they can tolerate whatever weather Southwest Florida throws at them, and they multiple and fill in empty space quite nicely. A good example of this is the blanket flower and coreopsis, otherwise known as tickseed.

Here are a few of the flowers that have been identified so far.

The cassius blue (leptotes cassius theonus) has become a regular visitor in our front garden. Today it seemed to enjoy the blanket flowers.

They are so tiny with a wingspan from 1.4 to 2.5 centimeters.

The males have bright blue wings, while the female has pale blue with dark borders. I am determined to photograph this little beauty with its wings open.

This species can be found in dune areas near the beach, margins of hammocks, as well as shrubby and disturbed areas.

They can also be found in gardens when you plant their host plant, or a variety of nectar. The butterfly will lay eggs on the bean and leadwort families, which includes herbs, vines, shrubs and trees.

I have the plumbago in the garden, which has become very bushy, making the tiny bluish green eggs hard to find.

Tag Archives: blanket flowers

25 and counting

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