My mom taught me the names of Missouri butterflies and moths. We caught, raised, and collected many over the years. Just observing them and learning their names is a great activity for all ages. Being able to properly identify what's flitting around my yard is gratifying, and sometimes a great conversation starter.
Butterflies are such an important part of the garden. Aside from the pollination benefits, they add a lot of interesting color and graceful movement. When I'm daydreaming about my aspirations for my own garden in winter, one of my thoughts always drifts to how I can make it more butterfly-friendly.
One of my favorite butterfly memories is of my grandma's Zinnia row. She had a very large garden, probably close to an acre in size, and planted one row of Zinnias. When they'd be in bloom, there were so many butterflies you couldn't count them. It was an awesome sight.
This year has been a particularly good year for butterflies in my garden. I've seen a lot more varieties than in years past. I believe it's due to the maturity of my gardens and the additions of butterfly-magnets such as Coneflowers (Echinacea).
I'm not nearly as talented as my hubby when it comes to capturing these winged beauties on camera, so I don't have any photos to share. But here are the ones that have visited my garden. Maybe you've seen some of these too.
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