My nature walks this week yielded sightings of some of my favorite butterflies. It was hard not to be enchanted by their gracefulness and delicate beauty.
“Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing.” — Dolly Parton
Butterfly Beauties
butterfly
A Flying Jewel
The vision of a butterfly effortlessly soaring through the air and gently landing on a flower or leaf is captivating. It can revive the sensation of being a child once more and the excitement of the pursuit.
“Watch with fascination and joy as a jeweled treasure glides by and gently touches your soul.” ~K. D’Angelo
Beauty
Here are some of the beauties that I’ve seen so far this summer.
“There is nothing that makes its way more directly into the soul than beauty.” ~Joseph Addison
Seeing Orange
Enjoying some of the beautiful shades of orange that come along with the spring and summer seasons.
“Mere color … can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” ~Oscar Wilde
Spring Beauties
We stopped at the Big Sandy Unit Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge to see if we could see any hummingbirds at the feeders. We weren’t disappointed by the hummingbirds …
or by the beautiful butterfly garden and grounds which overlooked the lake.
I couldn’t decide which I enjoyed more, the flowers …
the birds …
or the butterflies and other insects.
“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” ~Ruth Stout
Butterflies and Blooms
“No garden truly blooms until butterflies have danced upon it.” ~K. D’Angelo
Swallowtail on Buttonbush
Buttonbush is a wetland shrub whose creamy, ball-shaped blossoms attract many pollinators, including this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
“Tremendous beauty can be found in the tiniest of things… for who has ever thought to rival that of a butterfly’s wing.” ~Kristen D’Angelo
Autumn Landscape
In autumn, the temperatures gradually begin to cool. Plants dry up and scatter their seeds, berries ripen, and leaves turn into mosaic wonders. Insects soak up the sun’s warm rays. With all the colors and textures of autumn, it continues to be one of the most magical times of the year to me.
“If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then Autumn would be the magic hour.” ~Victoria Erickson
A Patch of Mistflower
Mistflower, with its bluish-purple heads, brighten up the autumn landscape and attract a variety of insects which feed on nectar and pollen.
“I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” ~Lee Maynard
Roadside Beauties
The ditches running beside the country roads are sprinkled with a variety of seasonal flowers. Though often overlooked, they add beauty, color and texture to the landscape for all to enjoy.
Fiery red Cardinal flowers …
… growing together with showy pink clusters of milkweed.
Ironweed’s deep purple blooms …
… surrounded by a variety of other late summer beauties.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” ~Frances Hodgson Burnett
