Every year about this time, you’ll hear me make the same resolution: “Next year we’re going to Florida for the month of January.” Yep, as much as I love living where we do for most of the year, January and February here can be rough. It’s cold, it’s brown (except for the rare occasions when we get snow), and there’s just not enough sunlight. For someone who loves being outside playing in the dirt, it’s a drag.

Now when I say “go to Florida,” I don’t mean just anywhere in Florida — I’m talking about one of my favorite places in the world: the Keys. And while I was bundled up this weekend, dreaming about driving down Highway 1 in a convertible with turquoise water on each side of the road, it occurred to me that this may be a great time of year to share with you pictures from the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory.

If I’m honest, Key West is not my favorite part of the Keys. I’m a nature girl – I like being by the water, hiking through state parks, and visiting residents at the Dolphin Research Center. But when our host recommended we visit the Butterfly Conservatory, we decided to take a chance. And I was glad we did!

The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory is snuggled in at the very end of Duval street. As we walked up to the charming building, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Tiny boxes with butterflies? An aquarium-like setting where glass separates you from the butterflies’ environment? I had no clue I was about to walk into a tropical paradise.

There are THOUSANDS of species of butterflies in the world; up here in North America we have about 725 species. Mexico alone has around 2,000 species, and in all of Central and South America there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,500 species! Butterflies lay eggs, which over a short period of time hatch into caterpillars, form pupas (chrysalis), and emerge as beautiful adult butterflies.

Some of those adult butterflies from around the world emerge from their chrysalis at the Butterfly Conservatory in Key West — where they fly around the indoor jungle as visitors stroll about.

Yeah — that’s right. Indoor jungle. This is what awaits you on the other side of the double door:

Oh, but a picture doesn’t do it justice. You need video.

Yes, those are flamingos you see there. We’ll get back to Rhett and Scarlett. But first, can we talk about Blue Morpho butterflies? These large sapphire beauties caught my eye as soon as we walked in. I wanted SO badly to take a picture — and so I followed one with my camera to a dish of fruit where I waited for it to open its wings…and I waited…and waited…

…and finally gave up and moved on. So many butterflies, so little time. A few steps further down the brick pathway, I came across a couple of smaller butterflies resting on a Crown of Thorns. Both beautiful, but unfortunately I don’t have the species name for either one.

As we continued along the winding path, I saw more beautiful plants, flowers, and butterflies. Most of the plants were marked, and luckily, Brandon encouraged me to spend a few bucks on the Butterfly Identification Guide that has pictures and names of 24 of the species who call the Conservatory home. If you visit, I highly recommend you get the guide.

Everywhere I looked, there were butterflies. On plants, on the walls, floating through the air. Let’s stop for a second, because I don’t think you fully grasp how magical it is to be in such a place.

Close your eyes and imagine. You’re walking through a lush, tropical rainforest. You hear the sound of waterfalls and birds chirping in the background while hundreds of brightly-colored butterflies from around the world gracefully flutter around you. A butler hands you a glass of chilled Chardonnay as you admire a butterfly that just landed in front of you. It’s a Blue Morpho!

Okay, there was no Chardonnay. But I did finally catch a shot of the elusive Blue Morpho! (And perhaps next time I’ll sneak in some wine with me to make it the perfect experience.)

Now this is the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory, so they don’t stop at butterflies. Remember Rhett and Scarlett from the video? They’re just a couple of the non-butterfly inhabitants in the Conservatory. As you walk through the jungle, you’ll catch glimpses of ducks, tropical birds, and lizards.

The tropical flora was spectacular. Blooms? Check. Colorful foliage? Check. Ideas for creating my own indoor jungle at home? Double-check.

As you can imagine, I left trying to figure out how I could recreate this amazingness at home. How do they do it?

Let’s start with the environment. Most butterflies need a temperature of 82-100 degrees Fahrenheit for their wings to work efficiently. That means you need to maintain a temperature of at least 80 degrees. For the tropical plants to be happy, you need high humidity and bright light. The Conservatory had a humidity of about 85% and was a giant greenhouse, allowing in plenty of light.

Butterflies have a relatively short life span, so the Butterfly Conservatory has 300-500 pupas shipped in EVERY WEEK! They finish their transformation in small glass boxes before they emerge and are released into the larger area.

So, short of becoming a billionaire and building my own Butterfly Conservatory in KC, it doesn’t look like I’ll be living in a tropical paradise with Blue Morpho buddies anytime soon.

But I CAN take some inspiration from the plant groupings, and I can also be more thoughtful about my garden to support the butterflies who may stop over in the warmer months. As part of my garden planning this year, I’m going to make it a point to support the butterflies! When it comes to plant selection, a good butterfly garden includes both nectar plants for adults and host plants for caterpillars. Butterflies also need sun to warm their little bodies for flight, so I’ll create my butterfly garden in a sunny area. Finally, I’ll avoid pesticides and herbicides as much as possible, because both can harm butterflies and caterpillars. I may not be able to attract Blue Morphos all the way from Costa Rica, but I can certainly welcome some Monarchs and Swallowtails!