A Day at the Gardens

On Saturday my kids and I and my sister and her kids and my brother all went to the Botanical Gardens here in Fort Worth to see the annual "Butterflies in the Garden". It was a very sunny day, if a bit windy and chilly. We had a sort of picnic in the park before we went to see the butterflies.

Inside, it was like a sauna, especially when you first come in, you're met with a wall of hot/damp air. It blows super hard right inside the door to keep the butterflies from escaping.

I tried to get the names of all the butterflies that I took pictures of, but I couldn't find them all, even after trolling the internet for hours. SO, I gave up. Some are named, some are not. I also didn't get the names of the flowers in there either. So, if you happen to be able to fill in any blanks, I'd be EVAH so grateful **dashing smile**

I didn't take any of myself - ah rats =)

Here are some of the early Spring bloomers in the park

Daffodils

Jonquils

and I meant to get the Narcissus, but forgot =(

As soon as we walked in the door in the atrium where the butterflies were,
my camera lens completely fogged over.

Totally foggy picture of some sort of awesome Swallowtail
Oddly, this is one of the more in focus shots I was able to get
(cue rant about camera)

Here you can see the really pretty colors in the blurry shot =)
I really searched for the name of this one

This is the GORGEOUS Blue Morpho, when this guy opens up
it's one of the most stunning specimens I've ever seen.
They don't open up much when they are resting, and they flutter by SO fast.
(I want a different camera)


This awesome dude is an Atlas Moth. I really should have taken
one shot with my hand near it (without touching b/c that's a serious no no in there)
because this thing was HUGE. Probably like 10 inches across, maybe more. Just.... wow

This is the Small Postman. This is without flash, those colors are so screaming
that my camera totally freaked out.

These are called Common Mormons and I guess it was just another season
just another reason, because they were pretty much all making babies =)

This one is the Great Mormon, when you are looking at them
with your eyes, and not my weird camera, it's not quite so blue and most
of them have more red on the shoulders.

This pretty little thing is called a Pink-spotted Cattleheart
I wonder why they call it that?

This one is the Paper Kite, one of the easier ones to find and photo
I wonder why I didn't get more pictures of it? Probably because it was too easy
weird me

This lovely thing is the Giant Comet Moth
related to the Luna Moth, which accounts for it's somewhat similar appearance
So pretty!

Here are some Zebra Longwings and Tiger Longwings at rest.
I think there is another one in there, but I don't know which genus and species it is =)*)

This may be another Pink-spotted Cattleheart, but it is different enough
to make me unsure, so it's in here, too.

Another shot of the Common Mormons,
you can see what they look like better from this angle.

I don't know the name of this one, but it seems to have the shape
of the Mormon butterflies, really it's somewhere between those and the Cattlehearts
No clue, really.

I don't know the name of this one, either. It probably has "Banded" in it's name.
But I really don't know. I don't think I've ever seen one before.

Man it's late, and I'm already torturing myself this particular Spring Forward nightmare time. I guess I'll push on through and post the few flowery things. (lucky you, right? haha)


Gigantic Fern - 3 to 4 foot fiddle head there

Part of the giant fern over my head - huge monster fern

don't know, sorry about the crappy focus, but the color is right for once

very odd true to life color of the buds of this tree that is related

somehow to a pea plant (that's what the botany guy told me)
It blooms like this:
with flash

without flash



sorta looks like a snap dragon type flower
but still, no clue

Okay, well that's pretty much the end. Except for the group shot of all the cousins together. =)

the camera was still foggy and we were behind a waterfall

It was a really great day!