Prairie Winds Farm

Passiflora caerulea is a host plant for the Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae butterfly. The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is native to Texas and can be found fluttering about in the warm Summer sun feeding on floral nectar in your garden. The Passion flower vine is the specific host plant for the female butterfly, Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae .  It can be found at plant nurseries state wide.  The Passionflower has a beautiful bloom and it is quite astounding in its intricacies.  Many artists have delved into its spectacular characteristics.  This specific passionflower is a favorite of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly.  Healthy offspring, caterpillars (larva) can be reared on this specific vine. The fertilized female Gulf Fritillary butterfly will light upon the tips of new growth or its tendrils to  lay her eggs.  The eggs are cylindrical in shape and are colored a soft orange.  In just about five days the eggs will hatch and an almost minuscule caterpillar will emerg

An Angel Wing Begonias pastel blooms glisten in the sunlight. The Rainforest is full of beautiful, well tended to tropical plants in full bloom. Be sure to bring your camera. The Owl butterfly is native to Central and South America.  This one is feeding on the sugars of rotted fruit.  This large butterfly has swift wing movement much like that of a bat. Heliconius hecale butterfly resting upon leaf.  This butterfly is a Heliconius longwing. The fertilized female lays her eggs  upon the tendrils and  newly sprouted leaf tips of the tropical Passionflower vines. They have soft, delicate flight patterns. Yellow blooms invite pollinators to visit.   The conservatory has many blooming plants. Butterflies are attracted to brightly colored flowers. Gorgeous pastel blooms surround you as you walk down the  beautiful pathways enjoying the butterflies in flight.  It is awesome to view Gods natural beauty even in a manmade environment. Handsome b

Now is the time to attend Fruit Tree plant sales in Houston and surrounding communities. The next one I know of is the Fort Bend Master Gardener Fruit Tree Sale @ the Ft. Bend County Fairgrounds, 4310 Hwy 36 S, from 9-1 on the 12th of Feb., 2011. Go to the web-site for the Fort Bend County Extension Office to get more info or learn how to become a master gardener. http://fbmg.com/ This is a photo of buds on our Meyer Lemon tree. I harvested 89 large lemons year before last from this tree but last years freeze limited this years production. I have pruned the branches and am anxiously awaiting arrival of the buds and the bees. And of course it is important to remember that the citrus tree is also a host plant for the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly as mentioned in previous blogs.