We've now reached the peak of the solar year. The wheel is turning and the days, although warmed by the power of the sun will gradually become shorter as it begins to wane. For those in tune with nature, we hear her whispering her promise to return to darker days. But there is plenty to celebrate at this time. The natural world is full of activity. Butterflies and bees grace our blooming gardens and the earth changes her colors to shades of golden yellow, bright orange and soft, sable brown. Summer is in full swing and there is much time to be spent outdoors enjoying the warmth of the sun by day and gazing at the endless stars in the night sky.
This weekend was the weekend to celebrate native plants! On Sunday, I visited the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. This garden is the largest largest botanic garden dedicated to California native plants. It also hosts a butterfly pavilion. The grounds were full of wildlife activity, the buzzing of bees and the melody of birdsong as I explored the winding paths through desert, chaparral and pine forest. At 10 am the butterfly pavilion opened up. (Butterflies sleep in until the sun gets warm… smart!) There I was able to view close up and personal some of the many butterflies of California such as our state’s insect the California dogface. Here are some of the images from my visit.
