The meadow cranesbill is one of my favourite plants.......it attracts bumbles.......
and will be different shades of blue/lilac depending on whether it is in semi-shade or sunlight......
It gives a romantic feel to the garden when planted beneath roses....
and Dahlia Christine.
It also looks beautiful beneath Lillium asiatic lollipop.
There is always a place in my garden...
and my heart for the meadow cranesbill.
Splattered with raindrops, Dahlia Arabian Knight, is already giving a good show. This is a plant that the rabbits had eaten.....I should not have worried, it has come back beautifully......
This rose was a cheap supermarket buy and is covered in buds.
I have dotted the red garden lillies all around the borders. I do not usually plant bright colours, I am enjoying the changes......
I am not a lover of this particular peony....it was planted by the previous owner. I have seen white and pale pink on other blogs, which I have on my wish list......remember that Mr P......
A pair of magpies are nesting in the garden......they stay with us all year.......I don't mind them, but two is enough.
The mullein moth caterpillar munches on it's host plant.....I am happy to see it.
I am keeping an eye on the crab spider. It caught a fly yesterday, which was great. It can have as many flies as it wants.
Last night, supper was a hoverfly. I was not so keen on it taking this insect. Hoverflies are the gardeners friend.
When I saw breakfast this morning, my heart nearly stopped beating. A humble bumble.......so sad. I had to walk away from this......
I have always believed that you let nature take its own course. I am trying to hold onto that thought at the moment. I shall be watching this spider carefully...she is without doubt a hunter, and a very good one at that. I may have to relocate her at some point......
Enjoy your garden but beware it's a jungle out there.......
33 comments:
Dear Cheryl,
Always on Safari! I also took some bug photogrpahs while gardening yesterday! The Crab Spider is something...she is a super good hunter...I wonder if she has eggs someplace near by?
I love the Meadow Cranesbil...beautiful flower.
I will gladly send shoots of my pale pink peoney. I divide in the Autumn...I made a note.
I enjoyed all your flowers and even tho she is a bee eater she also like flies...
Have a fantastic rest of the week. I have a huge storm coming in.
Off to sit on the deck and enjoy!
Sherry
Lovely photos Cheryl, I always look reading your blog as it's so romantic.
I have many Geranium, indeed there's always space for them in my garden! I have a monster at the moment, it's very happy and I may attempt propogating it to fill some empty patches, Geranium 'wargrave pink', last year it flowered for months on end and this year it's huge! Simply divine, I love it.
dear cheryl,
so lovely to catch up with your last few posts. that spider definitely needs a new home off site of your home/garden. if only she were killing pests.
i did love the all white posts which is in such contrast to the colourful post today. your gardens always make me travel to another place of whimsy...i love it and appreciate all you have done in your lovely space.
i am so glad to be home but have been extremely busy.
happy summer days to you.
Dear Sherry....Indeed, always on safari. Whilst I do not like this spider, part of me is fascinated by her. I have been watching her this evening....she took another fly, good.
Thank you re peony, you are so kind. Would you like seeds from the meadow cranesbill....she is fully hardy and so very easy....
We have had a miserable day here....cold grey and damp....
I do hope that your storm is not too severe....enjoy the rest of your week.....
It's pretty amazing a spider (not so big) can catch a bumble bee! I'm not actually wild about peonies, either; or I should say, I wasn't until I got mine from a gardening friend! I also love cranesbill, in all its shades of blue (and even pinks), though I prefer the deeper blue variety. :)
Hi Liz...thank you for your lovely comment, how kind.
Cranesbill are beautiful, are they not? I have many colours, including mourning widow. They are all such good solid plants and yet look so fragile and pretty.....
I divide mine every year, can't ever have too many......
Thank you Marmee....I really do not know what to do with this spider. Part of me says 'just leave it alone'....the other part says 'relocate it'. What to do!!
I shall give it another week and then decide...
Lovely to have you back. I am sure you will be very very busy but look forward to reading your next post. Hope you had a wonderful time in Florida......
Hi Monica.....I loved your pink and white peonies.....absolutely lovely.
The spider is pretty amazing....I have never seen anything like it before.....it is quite incredible.
I love cranesbill and have many colours in my garden but like you the blue/mauve is my favourite.....
Have a good week.....
Some beautiful photos Cheryl, but nature can be really cruel sometimes...sorry about your lovely Bumble Bee - but I'm a great believer in what comes around goes around - that spider has really got it coming hasn't it!! Take care Miranda
Dear Cheryl, I felt much the same when I saw a beautiful butterfly snared in a spider's web~~It is a jungle out there. I romanticize the garden and forget that it is tough for critters....so I let my plants go wild to provide more habitat and food.
If that rosy pink peony has fragrance it would always be welcome here...I have one this color and it's the fragrance that I love, a wonderful sweet rose scent!
gail
Hi Miranda.....I hadn't thought of it like that....you may be right.....
Hi Gail.......we never really know what is going on in our garden do we? I am a romantic by nature, and always see the sweeter side of life. I am far too sensitive for my own good sometimes but we are, as we are......
The peony does have fragrance but unfortunately it is in a round bed. To get to it, is a struggle, so I rarely have the opportunity to smell it........perhaps I would appreciate more if I could....
Have a lovely week.....
You have many wonderful things in your garden...It's surprising to me that such a small spider caught a bee. It is a bit distressing when nature effects one of your favorites...but I suppose there is a balance...
Cheryl, I thought I was going to read a novel, very intrigueing...
Your cranesbill is gorgeous. I think I have the same deep reddish lily. I will think of you from now on when I see it blooming. That crab spider is such a warrior. It is amazing that it captures bugs larger than it is. I know you hate to see your bumbles taken. They are like big teddy bears and you want to coddle them. Hopefully more flies will buzz the spider from now on.
Such lovely blooms again Cheryl. The Mullein Moth Caterpillar is a striking creature which I don't recall seeing before. The Crab Spider does sound like it could be a problem, how sad it took a Hoverfly and a Bumblebee, such delightful and useful insects.
Lovely photos as always, enjoy the rest of your week.
It is so hard sometimes to let nature take its course. I know the feeling well. Do I interfere? Or just let things alone?
There is a bird nesting in our hedge. I saw a naughty chipmunk climbing up the hedge and turned away. Fortunately, the birds chased it away, but I was afraid the chipmunk would destroy the nest.
I love bright colours! Especially in the garden - it makes the garden sing and come alive!! Your lilies, peony, and rose are bright and cheerful. That little caterpiller does look cute, with its stripes, munching on a leaf.
Enjoy the week. Happy gardening!
I do feel for you, dear Cheryl. Such a soft heart. :) It is hard to watch nature sometimes and that's why I can't watch some of the shows on TV. I am always rooting for the hunted animals. The baby antelopes being chased by lions, etc. Sometimes we just have to walk away or as you say relocate the spider.
I planted brighter colors this year, too. Trying something different than my usual pinks and purples. So far they are doing well and make the gardens 'pop'. If I can get a few minutes I want to post some of them.
Had the girls this past weekend and now a cold, so am worn out. But had to stop in and chat for a minute with you. Take care!
Cheryl, you always show something new blooming on every post; your garden must be alive with color right now!
It's so true that it's a jungle out there. I hesitate to tell you this, but I had much the same feeling as you yesterday. Toby the cat was outside exploring as he likes to do, and he caught a young robin that was still learning to fly. I tried to get it away from him, but it was too late. The parents were raising a ruckus and swooping down on Toby. I felt so bad for them and had to just walk away. Unfortunately, the natural order of things is not always kind or pretty. On a lighter note, I think relocating the spider is an excellent idea.
Me again, I just re-read my comment after hitting publish and thought how depressing that was! Sorry, I shouldn't have related that story. Anyway, forgot to mention that I've come to love the cranesbill, too. I planted the blue "Rozanne" last year, but I enjoy the pink ones as well.
I really enjoyed your post. I have one cransbill geranium which is pink and a very early bloomer. I love it. Altho it appears delicate it is a very tough plant surviving extreme heat and drought. I just added a hybrid variety that has a longer bloom period and a bluer flower.
I vote to relocate the spider. I would get her away from the flowering plants that attract bees and butterflies. Putting her on a shrub that doesn't bloom will still allow her to catch insects but not the kind that visit blooming plants. Just MHO;)
Hi Chris....I must say that the spider catching the bee surprised me. It is so small in comparison to the bumble....
Hi Lisa....the lillies are lovely, I am very pleased to hear we are connected in our choice of colour and bloom...
The spider has caught flies today...this is good....I can't bear to see the bumbles in it's grip though......
Hi Jan.....the hoverfly and bumble were upsetting....these insects are so useful in the garden. As you know for me the bumble bee reigns supreme. I hate to see any of them taken by a predator.....
Hi Wendy.....I have always tried to let nature look after itself....but sometimes it is so hard. I am sometimes just too emotional but that is me. I am too old to change, and to be honest I don't really want to. I shall leave the spider for a little while yet and make a decision whether to relocate him or not......
My dear Beckie.....I have problems watching those programmes sometimes. Mr P and I went on safari in South Africa once....fortunately we did not see anything being killed. It was an amazing experience to be with the wild animals and to see them running free. I will never forget it....
You must be worn out....do take care and I hope you are feeling much much better soon......
Hi Rose.....such a sad story but you are quite right it is nature. I do so struggle with the harsher side of wildlife....I am too sensitive, I know that.
The spider has been catching flies today, so I am happy with it being there....we will see what happens in the next few days.....
Hi Frances......cranesbill seem to suit most situations...survivors of the plant world. They always are so giving and very pretty....
I think that is an excellent idea re spider......a shrub without blooms would be such a good idea....tku so much for that.....
How observant you are! I have started looking for bees on my flowers and wonder how you get such good pictures of the insects in your garden.
Hi Ruth....lots of patience....and a good telephoto lens.....
I actually find bees easier to photographs than birds.....bees are more accommodating and stay on the bloom....as soon as birds see my camera, woosh they are gone!!
Have to investigate the meadow cranesbill. Haven't seen to many bees...now you're making me wonder.
Of course haven't spent too much time in the garden do to rain.
Cohankyou` soo much for your lovely Complete ``Beauty`` Cheryl...
`Thankyou` sooooo much for your Well wishes too...
Mother & baby well....Mason is proud as punch ......
We are blessed....
Have a lovely weekend..
Love to you and yours :) xxx
It is sad to see the law of the jungle at work, but we are only the gardeners not the sheriff.
Oh so beutiful! i miss my little patch of dirt so much. i rediscovered you in my bookmarks.beautiful beautiful gardens with so much heartfelt yearning.
Post a Comment