Orchid Fever

 While there are always orchids in the 

Sophia M Sachs Butterfly House conservatory,

there is an abundance of them beginning in October 

for the 'October Owls and Orchids' special event.   

Here are some images of those orchids and the owl butterflies.

Witch Doctor,
perhaps my favorite orchid

Here is an Owl Butterfly on my sleeve;

the picture is blurry because I had to hold my phone at arm's length

in order to get the giant butterfly in view.

Owl Butterfly

Owl Butterfly

Owl Butterfly on path

There were various types of orchids for sale at the gift shop. 

How could I resist trying something a little different?

This (Paph. Supersuk 'Eureka' AM/AOS x Paph Raisin Pie 'Hsinying') x Sib

(registered name is 'Hsinying Alien') bloomed for almost 2 months for me.
One of my friends dubbed it the 'Giraffe' Orchid. 

What do you think: Alien or Giraffe?

For more information about orchids, please visit

the American Orchid Society.

For more images from the Butterfly House, please click:

'Butterfly House, Part One'

and 'Butterfly House, Part Two'.

Thank you for visiting!

~Aerie-el

PNW Late Autumn Visit

After spending some time in the Pacific Northwest this month, I returned to St Louis

where I was greeted by annual plants that had turned to mush.

It was quite a different story in the PNW and I have the images to prove it.

The flowers that weren't eaten by deer modeled ballet poses
in front of the Azara microphylla.

This Azara is on the list of Great Plant Picks, and definitely worth seeking out.

Here is a wider view of the Azara. 

The structure of the plant is open, airy, and delicate, 

yet it has been a sturdy plant in my garden.

The Callicarpa americana is a stunner from autumn until spring,

with its bold purple shimmering berries. 

The blueberry shrubs are showing off their fall colors in the background.

This chocolate cosmos stubbornly refused to be ignored as I walked by.

The Eryngium and California poppy brightened up the scenery on a cloudy day.

As did these red currant berries and foliage.

I spied a sweet little dragonfly resting on the spent iris foliage.

A last walk along the lake to take time to reflect upon my visit.

And then, once again, it was time to fly.

Wishing you a fantastic fall or super spring, in whichever hemisphere you live.

~Aerie-el

Summer Sunflowers and Pollintors

During every phase of their lifespan,

they served a purpose.

The bud of a beauty. The promise of much to come.

Summer sunflowers attracted plenty of pollinators.

Sunny, bright, nourishing flowers.

They are bursts of brightness in the landscape.

They began as volunteers beneath the bird feeders.

As they grew, the stalks were roosts for the birds
as they waited for a turn at the feeders.
Even the squirrels climbed the sturdy stalks,
jumping from them in attempts to land on the feeders.
The flowers attracted pollinators, many at one time.

Then the flowers morphed into seed heads.

The goldfinches and other birds found nourishment in the seed. 

And now the compost bin will benefit from their decomposition.
Life cycles in nature couldn't be simpler, or more complex.

Thank you sunflowers.
Thank you Nature.

~Aerie-el

Wordless Wednesday - Lipstick Palm

Cyrtostachys renda

aka Lipstick Palm

For more Wordless Wednesday images from around the globe,
please click here.

One Day In May

Since moving to the St Louis area last year,

it has been a real joy to explore much of what there is to do here. 

I've learned that this is called a '20-minute city' 

because you can get to almost any attraction in about 20 minutes.  

Heron on rock, Japanese Garden

One of my favorite places to visit is the Missouri Botanical Garden.

One cool, overcast day in May, the sights were as beautiful as ever.

The azaleas were ablaze with color.

There were places to sit, relax 

and enjoy the richness of the day.

Other views of the Garden that day included...

Chihuly art

Reflections

Waterfall of textures

The beautiful bark of the

Pseudocydonia sinensis

The Missouri Botanical Gardens and their family of attractions, 

the Shaw Nature Reserve and the Sophia M Sachs Butterfly House, 

are amazing places to visit any time of year,

and at least one of them is sure to be a short 20 minutes away.

~Aerie-el