This beauty

Posted on July 18, 2025 by SweetButterfly Bliss

It is always a thrill to spot the zebra longwing butterfly, especially since Hurricane Ian impacted our area in Sept. 2022. That devastating hurricane did quite a number on the state butterfly.

I have spotted the zebra longwing a few times in my garden in the past few years. Today, it caught my eye while in my mom’s garden, as she has quite a few mature fire bush planted, one of their favorite nectar plants.

There’s hope that this butterfly will once again find the garden, it’s host plant, corkystem passionvine, and start its lifecycle in our garden again.

25 and counting

Posted on May 22, 2025 by SweetButterfly Bliss

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.

Rain kissed garden

Posted on May 4, 2025 by SweetButterfly Bliss

According to the local news, Southwest Florida is experiencing its greatest drought in 8 years!

It was such a welcome sound to hear the rain coming down this morning, kissing the garden. It did not come down long, but it was an awesome downpour. With the overcast sky, the ground hopefully will stay wet for a while, giving the roots time to soak up the much needed moisture.

Here’s just a few of the butterfly nectar plants.

The orange-barred sulphur caterpillars were also active on my cassia tree. There are tons yet again munching away.

More spotted

Posted on April 14, 2024 by SweetButterfly Bliss

It’s truly exciting to see more of the zebra longwings, the Floridastate butterfly! This one was enjoying some nectar from a firebush plant at my mom’s house, a first for her garden since the hurricane.

The final one

Posted on August 18, 2023 by SweetButterfly Bliss

Our last white peacock butterfly emerged a few days ago, taking our final count to six that we were able to raise from caterpillars we brought home from Butterfly Estates. I now have four plants for them to lay eggs on in the garden, so hopefully they will return and keep their population going. It’s been a few days since I have seen them return.

The white peacock butterfly is on a white lantana, firebush, blue porterweed bush, red penta, pink zinnia, cone flower and scorpion tail. These are all amazing nectar plants to have in the garden.