Thanks for the info @Dave. I had been wondering about that, too.

This is the 1st time I've been near a computer in days. Weather has been stupendibulous & I've been outside taking advantage is it before the COLD front moves back in tonite. I got some snapdragons, daisies, asylum, and a little blue annual planted today. At least there is now a bit of color. Also brought a new Myers Lemon tree home today. The blooms smelled so good I couldn't resist it. Maybe it will inspire my other one to grow!!!!!
Raked the front yard & got the small bed mulched. I had hoped to get the back raked today but it was too windy to try & keep the tiny oak leaves in piles. There is always next week!!!!! I did get the plastic covers off the 2 sm GH. Got them dried, folded & stored away.
Back of the SUV has potting soil & compost & guess it will stay there till the rain stops.
Of course the weekend will be chilly & wet................it is the Azalea festival in Palatka & I was planning to go. It may clear up so I can go Sunday.

With our weather, the computer is the coziest place in the house, other than in front of the fireplace.

Mellie, now you have got me started taking interest in butterflies. Do you know anything about moths?

Look at the size of this butterfly - on my hand -- taken last year at a butterfly garden in Gainesville. They import the cocoons and let them loose in the gardens where there's plenty of flowers for nectar; but no host plants for them to lay eggs on. Then the cycle is repeated again, bringing in more cocoons from around the world.

It's HUGE!

Looks like one of those Owl butterflies. I like MOSI because we raise our own butterflies and moths, which is pretty rare. We also only raise native Florida butterflies so we may not have the impressive tropical varieties, but our mission statement is "Making science real" and it's nice to show people the very real species they can attract to their yard.

Thanks Melanie -- didn't know the name - and the size was impressive.

Hmmm I was wondering where David De Land went, I used to look at his miniature garden posts.

He took himself off.

Elfie, awesome butterfly!!! He just landed on your hand? Very cool.

Melanie, thanks for doing what you do. I wish I lived closer to MOSI!

Mellie, your MOSI and I have a little something in common. I am in the process of collecting as many of the Florida Tillandsia as I can. I no longer grow the ones generally sold, most of which are man-made hybrids (sort of like the orchids, though not nearly the numbers of hybrids), preferring to just grow those Floridian species. I have the T. setacea, T. simulata, T. Bartramii, T. recurvata, T. fasciculate var. densispica, and the T. usneoides (Spanish moss). I don't really like the T. recurvate (Ball moss) and have loads of Spanish moss, but if anyone out there in Central or Southern Florida come across any of the others, I will gladly pay shipping.........


T. Bartramii "Bartram's Air Plant"

T. fasculata var. densispica ":Cardinal Air Plant"

T. recurvata "Ball Moss"

T. setacea "Southern Needleleaf"

T. simulata "Broad Needleleaf"