underdogishere

The big news around these parts isn't the sequel to Indiana Jones, it's the latest installment in the butterfly garden. It's open for business, and Judi is more excited than I can describe. There are going to be a lot of pictures in this post -- my apologies to those on dialup. But before I get to the new garden, look how the first garden has grown and filled in (you can click on any of the pictures in this post for a larger view):



Compare that to how sparse the garden originally looked, which you can see if you page down the March 25th post, or by clicking here.

Here's a more detailed picture of the first garden now:



On to the new garden. It looks a bit sparse at the moment, but it, too, will fill in over time:



Here's a close-up:



The new garden is completely different from the first one: The first garden has some flowers, but emphasizes bushes. The new garden is almost all flowers, and includes the first tree, a Cassia. It's only about three feet high now, but it will get bigger.

Here's a giant milkweed flower:



A zinnia flower:



Pink verbena:



Here are both gardens, the new one in the foreground and the first one in the background:



You may have noticed the adirondack chairs and the table. Here they are, center stage:



The choice of colors was inspired by our travels in the Caribbean, where objects are commonly painted bright colors. Witness these chairs in the courtyard of the Rose Inn, in the town of Rincon, on the island of Bonaire:



If you are ever in Bonaire, by the way, I highly recommend traveling to Rincon (you will need a car) and lunching at the Rose Inn. You will have some fabulous local cuisine, including some dishes that are specialties of the Netherlands Antilles, like tutu. It's Judi's new favorite place to eat on Bonaire.

Back to the butterfly garden: There has been a steady stream of clientele, and Judi has been busy snapping with her camera ("burst mode" on your camera is your friend). A Giant swallowtail in flight:

Photo: Judi

What we think is an Orange Sulfur, spied over the leaves of the Cassia tree:



A Gulf Fritillary on pink verbena:

Photo: Judi

Gulf Fritillary in flight:

Photo: Judi

The underwings of a Viceroy Monarch:

Photo: Judi

And, finally, an example of the mellowing effect that a butterfly garden can have on a personality: Judi used to hate dragonflies, but when this unusual-looking one alit in her garden, she was moved to take a picture of it:

Photo: Judi

Labels: Bonaire, Butterflies, Travel