Butterfly House – August 2025

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So many things to see in the Botanical Garden and the Roston Native Butterfly House this month. There are plenty of native plants in bloom in the rain garden on the walk between the Botanical Center and the house….but I just take a quick look since I want a few minutes to get things cleaned up before turning the sign to ‘open.’

Sometimes we find butterflies that have died overnight. I took a picture of one before we put it in the small bin we keep for butterflies that have succumbed. Another morning I found the 4 parts of a cecropia moth’s wings scattered on the floor; maybe a mouse ate the body during the night?

I like to see butterflies getting nectar from flowers…but sometimes it is enough to see them ‘resting.’ There are often fresh zinnias for the butterflies – freshly cut from the Master Gardener area of the Botanical Gardens. And there is always something blooming in the house itself. I like the Zen of the place when there aren’t many people but there is always the magic of a child’s wonder seeing a butterfly in a way they haven’t before.

The caterpillar that was ‘new to me’ this month was a Zebra Swallowtail…large enough to make its chrysalis – picked up off the floor when it was trying to leave the plant!

The moths are easily photographed because they are not very active during the day. The Luna moth is my favorite….but the Polyphemus is beautiful too. They, along with the Cecropia, have large caterpillars that are always interesting to visitors.

Evening at the Dickerson Park Zoo

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My daughter and I enjoyed a late-in-the day visit to the Dickerson Park Zoo last week – seeing the animals and enjoying a Molly Healey concert in the amphitheater. It was sprinkling when we got there. The rain gardens at the edges of the parking lot were looking particularly lush after a wet spring.

The vegetation in the zoo itself was as well. I noted the oak leaf hydrangea in near the entrance and the catalpa trees along the raised boardwalk that were mostly finished blooming – and saw a catalpa seed pod beginning to form. There was clematis growing on the supports of the deck around the café. I noticed a stand of yuccas in bloom too.

Some of the signs looked like they had been updated recently….were in better shape than I had ever seen them.

The peacocks were around as usual although I didn’t see as many out and about so maybe some had already retreated to their roosting area. I didn’t see any peachicks either.

The high point of the animals were the 3 cheetah cubs that were out with their mom.

The baby giraffe is a bit older than the cubs. All the giraffes were reaching for lettuce and the shortest didn’t manage to get any!

The single lion was caroling as she moved around near the back of her enclosure – could be heard throughout the zoo as easily as the peacocks!

It was in interesting time – with the day winding down and light rain.

It didn’t rain during the concert but the humidly must have been very high. It was warm enough to feel sticky but not terrifically uncomfortable. The audience was probably a little less than expected because of the rain. We were glad we went and will consider going to other evening events at the zoo.

Springfield Botanical Gardens – May 2023

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After my sister and I left the Japanese Stroll Garden, we drove the short distance to the Springfield Botanical Gardens botanical center parking lot.

I enjoyed the rain garden and beds near the building…particularly the different kinds of Hens and Chicks plants they had. Maybe I will eventually have some of these in the rock bed near my front porch.

We walked down to the hosta garden and back. I noticed the signs warning about ticks/Lyme disease for the first time (my daughter insists they have been around the garden previously); I guess Lyme disease is a problem in Missouri as it was in Maryland even though I don’t notice the over population of deer (and deer ticks) being as high as in Maryland.

Next time I go to the gardens, I will look more at the butterfly garden and daylilies!

Short Hike at Howard County Conservancy – 1

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One of the big draws of Howard County Conservancy’s Mt Pleasant is that it is open from dawn to dusk….we always go early in the summer ahead of the heat. Last week, we were there before 8 AM when the air was still full of moisture burning off in the sunshine. The sweet bay magnolia in the rain garden near the parking lot was blooming…droplets of water on the leaves and flowers.

The milkweed plants are blooming in the meadow and we saw a Monarch butterfly. Hopefully there will be lots of caterpillars soon.

The Brood X cicadas were still around but definitely winding down. The morning was still cool enough that they weren’t flying around a lot…easier to photograph.

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The meadow was sunny…lush with growth after plenty of rain: a bunny munching on grass, blackberries ripening, and skippers fluttering.

There is some shade along the edges of the meadow…close to the stream. I liked the change in images that comes with that difference in light.

Near the end of our hike, I photographed some allium with light coming from behind. Again – enjoying the changes that light makes.

There were two ‘wow’ sights from the hike that I am saving for the next two blog posts….

Josey Ranch Pocket Prairie

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Last week I discovered the Josey Ranch Pocket Prairie near the Carrollton (Texas) Public Library. At first it looked mostly like a sea of plants blowing in the breeze…then I began noticing the flowers.

I walked around the path slowly using the zoom on my camera to see the flowers better (and photograph them). There were a lot to see. Some I recognized – the bluebonnets, Indian blanket, Indian paint brush, and pink evening primrose. Others I didn’t. I’ll have to go back and get more detailed pictures to identify them. Spring is a great time to see wildflowers!

I’ll have to remember to take a turn around this pocket prairie when I come to Carrollton in the summer and fall…see it in difference seasons. There seems to be a group of volunteers maintaining the area. There were piles of some invasive plants that had been pulled out and were ready for pickup. The rain garden area seemed almost new. If it rains while I am here – I’ll go over in my rain gear to see how it works!