I planted one this year. I was prepared for blooms that were not the deep purple they showed in photos but more 'wine' in color, so I wasn't disappointed. Regardless, it looks fantastic next to the Honey Dijon I planted to keep it company. It has flushed and quit, and is just resting, I hope, putting out roots. It looks good. I hope to train it on my chainlink fence. It's funny, though, for some reason I had no desire to photograph it while it was blooming, and even now I feel no emotional attachment to it whatsoever.

Tony, palamedes swallowtails are big butterflies, about the same size as giant and tiger swallowtails, and they're closely related to both tiger and spicebush swallowtails. They have a vertical stripe on their body (underside, not visible on top) like tigers, and as caterpillars, they look almost exactly like spicebush cats. Also, they eat a member of the laurel family - Perseas - as do spicebush cats, who eat spicebush, sassafras, and various other laurels. The palamedes that was an egg and then a caterpillar in the above pictures emerged today, a male. I found the egg on March 25th, it had probably only been there a day or two, making it exactly two months from the time his mother laid the egg until he emerged. He was in a hurry to leave, but I got this picture of him in the cage right before he flew out hurriedly - The other palamedes that I got as an egg is probably in the last instar, a REAL big one, so it's probably a female. Sherry

Love the Queen Charlotte ....my style! Palatine roses have done very well in my garden. I will check her out next ordering season. The other roses are lovely also. Thanks for sharing. lesley

I personally think decking boards look better on a back door than a front, but it can be done in a way that is appropriate looking for a front, just needs a more formal look. ARe you thinking of doing the work yourselves or hiring someone? If you are hiring someone I would call some places that specialize in front porches and see what their ideas are. Could you replace the concrete with pavers? They have more give an don't crack.