In this cold weather, I was thinking fondly about the butterfly garden I had planted in my backyard in Florida. I planted most of the stuff in July 2003, after my summer veggie crop croaked from either baking to death in the hot FL sun or rotting to death from torrential FL rains.

But these plants flourished all winter long and by spring 2004, we had several species visiting us. I’d run outside with my HP Photosmart and go snap-happy. This was a great camera for outdoor 16x zoom.

One of my neighbors, who was homeschooling her kids, brought her 9-year-old son over to observe the life cycles in fall 2004. A great science lesson! I wish Jacob was a little older so he could appreciate them more — he enjoyed naming several of the caterpillars after his Thomas and Friends engines!

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

This is a white peacock butterfly on a butterfly bush.

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

Gulf Fritillary on a pink lantana.

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

Monarch on a milkweed.

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

Black Swallowtail caterpillar on a dill plant.

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

Black Swallowtail on parsley.

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

Very young black swallowtail larva on flatleaf parsley. Darwin at work — it looks like bird poop, doesn’t it?

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

Monarch caterpillar on a milkweed. Darwin at work again: the larva’s mouth is on the right side in this picture, but the long antennae-looking appendages on the left are meant to trick predators.

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

Gulf fritillary caterpillar feasting on my purple passion vine.

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

This is the entire passion vine plant that the Gulf Fritillary caterpillars were eating. I think this was taken on December 14, 2004…the sun would only directly hit the right side of the vines, so that’s where the caterpillars would congregate. Consequently, the right side of the plant looks less lush than the right — it got devoured on the right side!

From 2003 10 13 Bu…

By the way, this is the same plant from October 13, 2003. It was about a foot tall when planted in July 2003.