Flutter By, Butterfly!

The other morning, I stared out the kitchen window at our back yard.  I love our back yard.  I love how over the years it has become enclosed by green.  I won't try to pull the wool over your eyes... there are weeds, and plenty of them.  But, there are also little areas that we've planned out and nurtured -- like the trio of Cleveland Pear trees that we planted strategically so that we couldn't see into our neighbor's yard... long before the trees were tall enough to block anything.  These days, the healthy leaves provide a beautiful screen!

And then there were the butterfly bushes... another trio.  Two white, and one a shade of purple.  I always knew they attracted butterflies to our yard, but I never realized how much -- until this year.  You see, last winter was the last straw for our butterfly bushes.  They made no appearance this year.

... and neither did the butterflies!  I thought about the fact that it was early July, and I hadn't seen one butterfly in our yard this year!  Not one.  I made a mental note that those butterfly bushes had to be replaced.

Hours later, I stood at the same window preparing dinner, and couldn't believe my eyes!  A beautiful butterfly was fluttering around my pot of marigolds.  Marigolds are a humble flower, but one that will always be beautiful to me.  I recall styrofoam cups of marigolds each Mother's Day -- a gift that the church Sunday school department helped us prepare for our moms.  And then, as a young wife and mom, I remember planting marigolds because they were easy, and hearty, and dependable for a new gardener.

I guess I'm a little sentimental about marigolds!

Even today, they do not disappoint.  My hubby planted a big pot of them on our patio, and it was there that this fluttering beauty decided to land for a photo shoot.  I would've dead-headed the flowers for you, but I wasn't sure the butterfly would wait.  I knew you'd understand.  *wink*