Category Archives: Okra Paradise Farms

Half way between Atlanta and Orlando and all the way to paradise!

Maypops 2025-05-30

Scattered across an acre like this, growing on blackberry bushes, maypop is one of the most recognizable flowers.

Aka Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata is the host plant of the Gulf fritillary butterfly, Dione vanillae. The adult butterflies plant eggs on maypops, and the caterpillars eat the leaves. http://www.okraparadisefarms.com/blog/?p=9756

Climbing on blackberry bushes

-jsq

Gulf fritillary in the garden 2025-05-25

Update 2025-06-02: Maypops 2025-05-30.

This Gulf fritillary was frittering away in the garden.

Gulf fritillary

A Dione vanillae, at about 3 inches wingspan, looks small beside the cucumber plants. Continue reading →

Persimmon 2025-05-23

This volunteer American Persimmon is along the old road.

American Persimmon,

I will endeavor not to mow up this Diospyros virginiana.

-jsq

River and her buried armadillo 2025-05-23

She covers them up after she catches them.

River and her buried armadillo

And she grumbles if any other dog comes near.

-jsq

Garden spider pupa 2025-05-23

One of the two adult yellow garden spiders is visible to the left in this picture of a pupa of an Agiope Aurantia.

Pupa of yellow garden spider

-jsq

Washington LaFayette Irvine on Irvine’s Ferry, Suwannee River, Luraville, FL 1881-01-01

My great-great-great-uncle Washington LaFayette Irvine on his ferry on the Suwannee River from Luraville, Florida.

Irvine’s Ferry, Suwannee River, Luraville, FL c. 1881-1882 — Florida Memory Public Domain

Thanks to Ken Sulak for finding this picture on Florida Memory.

Accompanying note: This ferry was established in about 1872 by Washington L. Irvine, who operated a store near here. This picture has been viewed by many old residents of the area, some dating [back] to 1885, and they are unable to identify any of the persons in the picture. The Commissioners of Lafayette County opened a road from the ferry to Mayo in 1881, and the ground in the background appears to have been recently worked, giving some credence to dating this picture from 1881 to 1882. The man holding the guide pole is thought to be W. L. Irvine.

Here is how he is related to me. Continue reading →