Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Tiger lily

I was just ordering prints to fulfill another order of Sacred Lotus blooms for the gift shop at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C.

I was also looking for Tiger lily photos so I could order some prints for a new friend who loves that flower, and I came across a shot I never posted from Meadowlark Botanical Gardens several years ago. This is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on a Tiger lily bloom. (Drooling over that cornflower blue sky as a backdrop!) I’m already pining for garden season again! 

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Skipper butterfly on Pink-spiked Celosia

Another image from my archives: Skipper butterfly on Pink-spiked Celosia (one of 45 species in the Amaranth family)

My best guess is this is a Grass skipper butterfly (Atalopedes campestris).

Wild fact: There are roughly 3500 types of Skippers!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Chinese Ground Orchid or Hardy Orchid

I was looking for some specific images for a project, and came across several images that I hadn’t showcased on the blog yet. Here is a Chinese Ground Orchid or Hardy Orchid (Bletilla striata). With all the snow we’ve had in Northern Virginia, this gal is ready for SPRING!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.