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She skips around a mile a minute, so I felt lucky to get this shot.
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Thank you to Randy Emmitt for the correct identification–this “handyman/photographer” from Rougemont, North Carolina really knows his butterflies. Check out his blog Randy & Meg’s Garden Paradise.

Thank you to the following blogs for their links and referrals to Heirloom Gardener over the past month:

1. http://www.gardeningonewild.com/ – this is a group effort with great writers, photographers, the Garden Bloggers‘ Design Workshop, the Picture This Photo Contest, the Plant Pick of the Month and more: “The idea for Gardening Gone Wild came out of the wonderful interactions I have had over several years with gardening professionals throughout North America, all of whom are passionate gardeners.”

2. http://www.kenschill.blogspot.com/ – if I lived in Sweden, this is what my garden might look like: “We are two amateur gardeners. We are interested in everything in the garden both plants and garden-design.”

3. http://www.blotanical.com/ – of all of the lists of gardening blogs out there, I still think that this is the best one: “where garden blogs bloom.”

4. http://www.phillipoliver.blogspot.com/ – from Alabama, a great personal gardening blog: “…creating and maintaining a 3/4 acre garden for 15 years now which I have chronicled on my web site. I also enjoy movies, reading and photography.”

5. http://www.thequeenofseaford.com/ – from Virginia, another great personal gardening blog: “After gardening in Texas, Florida, and Germany I am now in Tidewater…trying to have an attractive garden while battling dogs and tidal inflows of mysterious seeds.”

6. http://www.maydreamsgardens.blogspot.com/ – from Indiana, the well-known host of Garden Bloggers‘ Bloom Day: “Eccentric gardener? Gardening geek? Passionate about plants? Join me in my Zone 5 garden in Indiana!”

7. http://www.queenmothermamaw.blogspot.com/ – from Kentucky, a blog about more than just gardening: “Retired RN loving time with my children, grands, art, literature and blogging and loving the creativity. My name comes from my dear grandchildren. I called them all princess, then their moms queens and my sons kings. They started to call me Queenmother Mamaw.”

8. http://www.flowerhillfarm.blogspot.om/ – from Massachusetts, Carol lives on a dream, twenty acre property: “Farming, observing and documenting a twenty acre hillside paradise, which includes organically cultivated rambling gardens, fields of organic blueberries, forest, fabulous views and expanse of sky.”

9. http://www.northmobilegardensociety.blogspot.com/ – from Alabama, I share Dirt Princess’s feelings about spending everyday outside in the yard: “I live in the deep south, where everyday is a bad hair day. I am married to my best friend (The Hunter) and we do everything together (except garden). I would spend everyday outside in my yard if I could.”

10. http://www.acornergarden.blogspot.com/ – from Nebraska, Sue is a dedicated suburban gardener: “I am married with 2 grown children and a grandson. We live in the house on a corner lot that my husband grew up in. I have been talking him out of more grass over time in order to increase space for gardening. I like growing veggies, flowers, and herbs.”

This month’s Garden Bloggers‘ Design Workshop at Gardening Gone Wild is on Time in the Garden. I love the kick-off photos on the post, as gardens are never “done” and always evolving, season to season, and year to year. Thinking through posts and photos that I could use to contribute to this subject, the best I have to offer is a post from last year, “Heirloom Gardener’s Four Year Makeover of Her Front Garden – How to Improve Boring Suburban Landscaping,” with pictures of the significant changes made from 2004-2008, including the replacement of a pathway and the continuation of a stone staircase to the front door. The foll0w-up post, “Front Yard Garden Design Challenge – Five Ideas For the Downward Sloping Front Yard,” provides updated pictures from 2009, including the plantings that were added around the new hardscaping. Here are some of the “before” and “after” shots from those posts:

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The Front Garden, 2004

The Front Garden, 2009

The Egg Garden, 2004

The Egg Garden, 2009

I like doing this with my kids, but because of our slope, we all wake up on one side of the tent. For the full post, click here.

As a follow-up to my post How to Care for David Austin Roses, I realized I have never posted a picture of one of my favorites, Mary Rose.

Yesterday around 5PM, it started to thunder. A few minutes later, the lightning started to flash. Torrential rain and hail the size of ice cubes followed. The rain was so forceful it was coming through the screens in the open windows. Next, lightning struck one of our neighbor’s trees and we saw a large branch fall into our yard, right into the Long Border and the Walled Garden. After several minutes, it all stopped and the sun began to shine. Then, in our front yard, very low to the ground, there it was–a bright rainbow. We walked out to survey the damage to the garden. Many of the tall plants throughout the garden were laying on the ground, but most of the real damage, as you can see below, was limited to the Long Border.

“MYFOXNY.COM – Several rabid raccoons have been found in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx in recent weeks. That is prompting the New York City Health Department to issue a warning. Pet owners should make sure their animals are vaccinated agaisnt rabies. The health department says people should avoid contact will any raccoons, skunks, bats, stray dogs and cats and other wild animals that can carry rabies.”

For the full story, click here.