25 and counting

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.

Blue butterfly bush
Purpletop vervain
Goldenrod
Wild lime
Firebush
Starry rosinweed
Penta
Zinnia
Blanket flower
Fire spike
Spiderwort
Plumbago
Lantana
Almond bush and an atala butterfly.

A celebration of sorts

Today my daughter and I began our first butterfly garden many years ago not knowing what kind of passion it would evolve into over the years.

Here is one of our favorites, a gulf fritillary, one of the first to visit our first garden, and since has been a constant visitor. It is always one of the first to flutter into the garden every morning to find its breakfast.

Today it’s preference was the variety of pentas that I have in the garden.

Penta

Featured

It’s not often the white penta’s have visitors, but this male monarch butterfly was going to town on sipping tons of nectar. It gathered some pollen through his travels too.

Touched

They say butterflies appear when angels are near. I am convinced.

My daughter and I first spotted a male monarch in the garden, and almost immediately after a female monarch butterfly. She instantly named both of them with two very special names. I love how sentimental a 7-year-old can be, how she says the first thing that comes to her mind. She instantly brought tears to my eyes, as well as a huge smile. My kind, thoughtful girl.

It’s not only amazing watching their lifecycle, but also touching when you stop and think about how much they come to mean to you.

The first photo is of the female, second one a male. The male has two black dots on its lower wing. The final photo is of the pair, male on the left, female on the right.

Great to see

After getting about 8-10 inches of rain in a matter of hours yesterday after an incredibly gloomy start to the day, it was exciting to spot a monarch butterfly enjoying some sweet penta mectar in the garden today.

The sun has not returned, and it’s been on and off rain, with more expected to come today, but the butterflies have returned and the many caterpillars chomping away.

It’s the little things that brighten the day.

https://videos.files.wordpress.com/3cuWPT1c/20240116_112029.mp4