Faded and battered from a long flight, probably from North Africa, a sprightly Painted Lady is still fluttering happily around the garden enjoying the blackberry blossoms. Painted Ladies are all over the place this year, apparently due to heavy winter Moroccan rains.
Amazing she is still so fit to fly.
And these skippers are everywhere, hedgerow blossoms are their favourite haunts.
The sun is helping these seedlings push off their shells. Gracie re-purposed these egg cartons to plant some sunflowers, thanks for the inspiration Debbie.
Now we must think of where they might go in our chalk pit of a garden. Think I'll need a pick axe to hack away a hole in the chalk and dump in some compost. Then put up a fence to keep away the bunnies and something to discourage these guys. Oh my, sunflowers might be hard work, will we even see them bloom before we move house in August?
A quick Tuesday morning glimpse of June in our garden :)
sunflowers are weeds here aND in abundance :) when they begin popping up on our future homestead, i will take some pictures. the whereabouts of the painted ladies are amazing.
Posted by: adrienne | June 23, 2009 at 01:15 PM
It's so incredible to think that those fragile creatures fly such a long way - I complain about walking 2 blocks to my car on school drop offs :)
Posted by: Louise | June 23, 2009 at 01:58 PM
Beautiful pictures. I feel bad for that tattered butterfly. Inspiring.
Posted by: Cheryl | June 23, 2009 at 06:11 PM
Poor butterfly - she looks like she has many tales to tell. How do those tiny wings make it so far? I've noticed loads of them this year too, much more than last year.
One thing the sunshine brings that is really not nice - men in just their jeans, t-shirts tucked in their belt loops, and women with little more than their underwear on. I am turning into my mother. God help me!
Posted by: Katy | June 23, 2009 at 09:13 PM
I love the tattered wings so very much
Posted by: margie oomen | June 24, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Those wings - Oh those tattered wings. I am amazed she can still fly. I am going to create a punched tin butterfly to honor her strength and will to live. And I will display it next to my punched tin version of the wood moth that visited us on it's last day on earth.
Posted by: Pam | June 25, 2009 at 09:26 PM
beautiful painted lady in all her glory!
Posted by: Jinger | June 26, 2009 at 03:41 PM
love these photos! been doing more gardening and planning around here, but i have so few nice FLOWERS...... yet. :-) we are waiting for some sunflowers as well....
Posted by: Elissa | June 27, 2009 at 01:43 AM
Beautiful photos..i can almost feel the sunshine! have a beautiful week!
Posted by: Christy | July 01, 2009 at 03:16 AM
Great job Gracie! :) Your flowers are looking good!
If you haven't planted them in the ground yet, maybe you could try a pot/planter instead? Might be easier on your back too!
Posted by: deb | July 15, 2009 at 02:27 AM