September at Missouri Extension Center Gardens

In this post I will be reviewing my September visit to the Missouri Extension Center gardens.  I am fortunate to live within a short distance of the University of Missouri Extension Center in St. Charles County.  The center has a lot of various education and services which it provides for the community, but what interests me most is the beautiful flower gardens which are maintained by their Master Gardener program volunteers.  It is a wonderful place to go and practice my photography skills among the gorgeous native flowers and pollinators. 

Pollinators at the Center

On the day that I visited the butterflies were particularly active.  Butterflies are particularly attracted to flat, brightly colored flowers and the abundance of Zinnias was a big attraction.  Here are a few of the photographs I took of the butterflies on Zinnias.

Although, butterflies are not heavy-lifter pollinators like bees they do move pollen.  When the butterfly lands on a flower to drink nectar from their proboscis some of the pollen sticks to their legs, proboscis and body.  When the butterfly flutters to the next flower some of that pollen will rub off.  Butterflies also travel further between flowers and that can help in cross-pollination.

Bees of course, are very special and the primary means of pollination for much of our food and flowers.

Flowers at Missouri Extension Center

Here are just a few of the flowers in bloom at my September visit.

Zazzle Designs from my Photographs

I love to use my photographs to create products on Zazzle.  Here is one of my butterfly photographs on a greeting card.

Beautiful Butterflies Card
by mbgphoto