I’m currently suffering from wedding derangement syndrome (my daughter is getting married in less than a month), so to try to achieve some sanity I escape to my garden. (Where I discover lots of weeds, oh well…)
A couple of days ago, I saw black swallowtail butterflies fluttering like crazy around my bronze fennel plants. I dashed to get my camera and then fluttered around madly myself to get some photos as the butterflies briefly paused to lay eggs. I also found a chrysalis hanging by threads from a fennel stalk, the first chrysalis I’ve ever seen in my garden! I put together some of the photographs in the above collage. The eggs are in the upper left photo in the collage. A butterfly is laying eggs in the upper right photo. 
Catherine Sherman 
your butterflies always seem to pose for you! Mine won’t sit still for a second. Beautiful Cathy.
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Hey, learning about life cycles is a third grade science standard! I just need 30 of these cards to cut up and have the kids glue them into the right sequence and I’m done. 🙂 I too find that spending time in the garden is a lovely way to get away from it all (and I’ve got those same pesky weeds that like to taunt me too).
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The good news is that WDS is usually a temporary condition. But I do feel your pain.
The pictures are amazing. And how cool that you found a chrysalis in your very own garden!
My wife has been trying to get shots of the butterflies and hummingbirds that visit our butterfly bush. Like Sandy said we haven’t yet been able to get them to pose! 🙂
My confession — I have to take hundreds of photographs to get that one good one…I just checked my chrysalis — it was empty! This butterfly has blown! Cathy
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I know all about wedding derangement syndrome~ I have that all year long, but it’s especially bad in June, July & August. I thought it was my allergies, but I might be wrong. :>) Please refer to my recent post, although I’m pretty sure that you already know that roses have thorns and leaves! Hang in there, it will be over before you know it. I always tell my brides, remember if something goes wrong, you’re just making a memory for the future, it might take twenty years for it to become funny, but it will eventually become a fond memory. Take a deep breath & remember to laugh! I pretty sure a walk in the garden helps too. Let me know if I can help with anything.
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Congratulations to your daughter. How very fascinating! I’ve never seen a butterfly lay eggs. Will have to show my girls later today-they’d love it.
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Reading your blog and looking at the photos has made me think of my best friend’s wedding that will happen the day after tomorrow. Oh I love butterflies, I have a small garden with butterflies on it. I just love to watch on how they are transforming into a beautiful one from an ugly worm.
Vernice
My blog : Doudoune enfant
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