— A long time in the making, our backyard landscaping project is nearly complete. The first delay was back in February 2021 because of the week-long extreme cold weather that hit Texas. After that, we then had to wait until nurseries around town would have the plants we wanted for the project. The extreme cold had killed several plants. While waiting for those plants, the water feature (a round fountain) was then installed. Now, this past week, we added some additional plants and ground cover. A couple more potted plants will still be added, but the backyard is looking more like the oasis we envisioned for the pollinators that come to visit us.
As I was planting the Pride of Barbados that you see in these photos (you can click to see them in full size), I noticed that this Gulf Fritillary butterfly was very friendly and unafraid of my presence. It was really within under 2 feet (0.6 meters) from me. Since I had my cell phone with me, I decided to snap some shots as the butterfly delighted itself on those flowers.
Of course I was very happy to see the fruits of our labor paying off instantly and so quickly. These butterflies and others continue to visit the Pride of Barbados and Lantana. Now, in addition to cardinals, titmice, and chickadees, I’m hoping that other variety of birds and pollinators will plan a stop around our backyard.
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