And I saved the best (or should I say the toughest?) for the last... This "Blue Monarch" refused to settle down until the sun came out from behind the clouds... apparently it needs sunlight to "recharge its batteries". But the wait was worth it.

It is so satisfying when a picture turns out exactly like you expect it to... The time delay captured the flutter of the wings on film. Cool.

busy-beeeeeeee

This one was a darling... a model, rather. Posed long enough to get a decent pic.

A delight to shoot... a pain to shoot... butterflies never stay idle long enough to take a picture. But I managed a few...

This one, I believe is called the "lady's shoe". But of course!

They say flowers have bright colors to attract the insects... (wonder if that is a fact?)

This brown flower had shades that were out of this world...

Colors to brighten any day... just don't ask me what they are called!

I remember we had orchids like this at home when I was in high school.. never knew what they were called. I guess I was never much of a botanist!

And then I saw a bunch of orchids... this is the Venus-fly-trap like thing I mentioned earlier...

And here's the pumpkin-cactus patch

The first things I saw were a bunch of cactii... sorta look like pumpkins with thorns! And then there was one with pink thorns.

Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, MI

From my recent visit to Meijer Gardens... orchids, flowers and yes, butterflies.