Monday, March 12, 2012

Blooms & Butterflies

 

Today I wanted to share some pictures from the Blooms &  Butterflies event now going on at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio.

FPC_Agapanthus_Blue
My daughter and I attended opening day Saturday and it was packed out. The children were given butterflies to let loose and they were having so much fun.It made us laugh and lightened our hearts to see them running around with the butterflies.
Some were dressed with their own butterfly wings or painted butterflies on their cheeks.
It was a wonderful experience for the young ones and us not so young ones who came with cameras in hand.
Most of the Butterflies now on display are tropical ones that I am unfamiliar with but their colors are so fantastic.

FPC_Butterfly_Chrysalis_Paper_Kite
In a special room behind glass the chrysalis hang and you can see the butterflies emerging and unfurling their wings.
Those show here were Paper Kite’s. You can see those that are still in the chrysalis form and how their spots showing through the chrysalis.

FPC_Butterfly2 

FPC_Butterfly_Banded_Orange
Banded Orange Dryadula phaetusa

FPC_Butterfly_Great_Yellow_Mormon
Great Yellow Mormon Papilio Iowii

FPC_Butterflu_Unknown

FPC_Butterfly_Scarlet_Swallowtail

Scarlet Swallowtail’s  Papilio rumanzovia

FPC_Butterfly_Scarlet_Swallowtail2

FPC_Buterfly_Unknown
Paper Kite Idea leuconoe

FPC_Butterfly_Blue
I took this one which was on a little boys finger. He was so happy to pose with the butterfly for all of those who were snapping pictures.

FPC_Butterfly_Blue_Spots

FPC_Butterfly_Green_Spots 

FPC_Butterfly_Yellow

FPC_Butterfly_Malacite_Siproeta_stelenes2 Malachite Siprotea stelenes

FPC_Butterfly_Postman Postman  Heliconius erato

FPC_Butterfly_Malachite_Siproeta_stelenes3Malachite Siprotea stelenes

This one was interested in the orange slices at a feeding station.

FPC_Butterfly_Malachite_siproeta_stelenes 
Butterflies & Blooms runs from March 10th  until September 10th so if you have a chance to visit the Franklin Park Conservatory and take the children or Grandchildren do not pass it up. Soon the gardens outside will be in bloom with spring and then summer plants so you can take in both at the same time.

Chihuly_Orchids 
Also the Orchids will be on display until April 8th  and they have so many beautiful ones now in blooms I took loads of pictures and will share them in some postings until my own gardens come into bloom.

Everyone have a wonderful week and…
Happy Gardening,
Lona

21 comments:

A Garden of Threads said...

There are some really beautiful butterflies in the photos. I love the blue one on the boys finger. Looks like you had a wonderful time.

Patsy said...

Beautiful, some I have never seen before.

Teresa O said...

Oh my gosh your photos are stunning! One of my goals this spring/summer is to take some butterfly photos. I've yet to achieve a really good one. What a treat to be surrounded by so much natural beauty.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Love that butterfly on the boy's finger. You have shared some really pretty and unusual butterflies. They are at least unusual to me! What fun, love butterflies.

GRACE PETERSON said...

Wow. Some these beauties I've never seen before. A scarlet swallowtail? How gorgeous. I bet the children (of all ages) loved this. Thanks for sharing and for the time it took to match up the names with the butterflies. This couldn't have been easy. :)

Debbie said...

Love the butterfly pics. I grow Monarch butterflys with my grandkids every year...cant wait!

Donna@GWGT said...

So pretty, Lona, and so many different colors. The blue one was pretty amazing.

The Sage Butterfly said...

What an array of beautiful butterflies! I am looking forward more than ever to seeing some of these beauties in my garden this year. Thanks for sharing...

Dirt Princess said...

So beautiful. Your pics of them are wonderful.

Serenity Cove said...

They are all so beautiful!!

Sunray Gardens said...

You caught some beautiful photos Lona. Wouldn't you just love to have all of those Butterflies in your garden?
Cher Sunray Gardens

sweetbay said...

So many beautiful butterflies! The picture of the Paper Kites emerging from their chrysalises is amazing.

RURAL said...

Oh my goodness, magical. What a experience.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Cat said...

How wonderful! It is magical to see so many butterflies in one place and children enjoying them so! We visited the Houston butterfly exhibit last spring and it was such a fun experience...I need to get back soon.

Unknown said...

My gosh, beautiful and a perfect time of year to visit.

Unknown said...

I love how you share these outings with us and how nice to visit them with your daughter! Some of these butterflies are just gorgeous!

HolleyGarden said...

All gorgeous, but that blue one is fabulous! I've never seen anything so radiant!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Lona girl this was a wonderful post! I wish I could have been there with you .. and to see the kids have such fun : ) Butterflies brings such happiness to gardeners and kids ;-) .. I still have my cocoon in my fridge and I am not sure when to bring it out yet.
And those damn raccoons .. what can I saw ? I can't believe it myself !! JEEZ !!!
Joy

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Hi Lona! I was looking at your last post - yes, the spring is certainly arrived! But, then i switched to this post and - AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! How wonderful! Miracle! What incredibly beautiful creatures! Thank you!!!!!

Lynn said...

The butterfly event sounds like so much fun. I can just picture the kids running around chasing them.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Simply gorgeous!! Not many flutterbys yet..but soon I hope. Soon. There seems to a shortabe of bee's too and that is distressing for our fruit tree's here in California.
The Scarlet Swallowtail is amazing..