Tuesday 20 May 2008

Birds, blooms, and insects.

Tuesday and another look around the garden....Alliums are really doing well this year.
The Gunnera is literally growing before my eyes, some of the leaves are over a metre wide now.
Clematis Pink Fantasy has just come into bloom and has dozens of buds waiting to open.
The little bee was enjoying the white Thrift very early this morning.
A cranefly clings to a foxglove bloom. She will lay her grubs in the lawn and the starlings will feed on them in Autumn. The starlings large beak will put holes in the lawn which helps with the drainage.
Hoverfly, the gardeners friend without a doubt.
Foxglove bloom....surely there has to be a fairy in there somewhere.

Aahh the aphids have arrived, I shall leave them for the Blue Tits to feast on.
And theres more.....plenty of food around for the birds. In a month there will be no trace of these and the plant will be fine.
Bath time.....the starling was not going to move, he was there first!!
The thrush is still around and she is building a nest in one of the conifers.
Rosa Rugosa is laden with blooms, can't wait to see them when they all open. The garden is full of life and flowers. The weather is still chilly and we have had a North wind for the last five days. A light frost last night was a bit of a surprise and something I hope we do not see too much of this late in the season. Happy gardening.


19 comments:

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Lovely! Your garden is filled with gorgeous blooms and lots of wildlife. The pic of the bathers made me laugh. Didn't care so much for the pics with black aphids. Brrrrr! For some reason I think black aphids are worse than the green ones.

Ohhhhh, that Clematis of yours, simply stunning!

BTW The Thrush in our garden already had her babies. While the parents were feeding the babies I found loads of vacant snail shells, such a happy sight. ;-)

Rose said...

Cheryl, only you could find a positive trait in starlings! (I do hope you understand I meant that as a compliment:))
The foxglove is so lovely. I had a couple that survived only a year or two, but they aren't really perennials, are they? I'm going to have to buy a couple more this year; to me, they really exemplify a cottage garden.

Cheryl said...

Hi Yolanda.....the black aphids are not nice but the birds clear them so quickly, they will soon be gone, really.
I am thrilled with this Clematis it is beautiful,

Hi Rose, Foxgloves are biennials. They will selfseed well if you let them go to seed. I bought five plants three years ago.....I would say I have about twenty plants now. Of course they often cross pollenate which is wonderful. I am never sure what will appear....I adore surprises in the garden.

Anita said...

Thank a lot for your nice comment on my blog and thanks for guiding me over to your side! Yes, we should be happy about the "free" food that offer our garden for the little birdies!

Happy gardening!

Best wishes from Germany, Anita

Cheryl said...

Tku Anita for dropping by...free food is good.

Earthman said...

The contents of your blog and magnificent. The photos are outstanding. You certainly capture nature in all its beauty. From blackfly to bumblebees it brings the beauty of your garden into our home.

beckie said...

Cheryl, you do such a wonderful job of taking closeups. The black aphids are something I have never seen(or noticed) before. I love the foxgloves and almost bought one earlier. Will have to now. I can't imagine a frost now, glad it didn't do real harm. I am enjoying your garden!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Gunnera and foxgloves are some plants I wish I could grow. I have had no luck with either. Your garden looks so lovely with all the wildlife...the bees, collared doves and thrushes. Such fun to watch. Thanks for sharing all with us.

Cheryl said...

Tku Earthman for your lovely comment....I am glad that you are enjoying it.
How that little red tractor???

Cheryl said...

Hi Beckie...Foxgloves are beautiful. I find a little shade helps them and they like a slightly damp soil. Mine selfseed so freely.

Cheryl said...

Hi Lisa.....I love foxgloves to. As you know we live near a railway. When we first moved here the area on the other side of the fence was just soil. Each year I collected the seeds and threw them over the fence. I now have a foxglove grove of all different colours, Quite lovely.

Libbys Blog said...

When I see your garden, I really wish mine was bigger!

Cheryl said...

Hi Libby....I had a tiny garden for the first 32 years of marriage. I loved it, it was very enclosed and intimate. I wanted a big garden, so we moved here. Don't get me wrong I enjoy it but I tell you it is hard work it really is. I work in the garden around 4 - 5 hours a day.
So yes it is lovely, but very tiring.

Anonymous said...

Oh my your pictures are beautiful Cheryl..TFS..Hope you are all well:)x

Cheryl said...

We are fine Terrie...hope you are to.
Glad you like the photos.

Dawny P said...

What beautiful pictures as always Cheryl. I love the fact that you are so in tune with Mother Nature and you really understand how She means it all to work. Your clematis is fab by the way. We have one by our back door but for some reason, it is very slow growing - not a patch on yours xxx

Cheryl said...

Thank you Dawny....Mother nature is my friend, I have had many problems in the past and I find much solace and comfort in her.

The secret with Clematis is feeding. They are greedy feeders. If you grow tomato's, everytime you feed them give the Clematis some to. You will have so many blooms, you won't know what to do with them.
Happy gardening Dawny, as always lovely to hear from you.

Mary said...

Cheryl, I've been looking at what I've missed here at your Sanctuary. You always make me smile! I can tell Foxglove is a favorite of yours :o)

Beautiful posts!

Mary

Cheryl said...

I have planted foxgloves all my gardening life.....I never ever tire of them Mary.