Sunday safari

I watch the frog.......

The frog watches the insects feeding on the Eryngium........

 The frog misses his prey and lands in the border.  He looks cross.   He made me laugh.   I like the frog.

The cool damp weather is still with us.   There are times when the sun shines,  they seem all to brief.

The plants seem to enjoy the weather.

 The lack of insects makes me feel a little sad.   The garden seems empty.    I have missed the bugs this summer.

I sit with the pigeon........he is a loner.    He has been here all summer.

I leave you with the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes

On every stem, on every leaf,......
and at the root of everything that grew,
was a professional specialist in the shape of a grub,
caterpillar, aphid, or other expert,
whose business it was to devour that particular part.


Perhaps next year will be a better year for insects  :)

Happy Sunday safari.........  

Sunday safari

I love this time of year.   Walking towards the next season, for me, is always a pleasure.   I love the changes.

 Autumn is my favourite season.   She is knocking at my door.   I feel a nip in the air.

The garden is full of life.    When I see the creatures that inhabit this space, I cannot tell you the pleasure that it gives me.

I nearly missed the holly blue.   She blends in well with the nigella bloom.     

Wasps have been a nuisance this year.   We have two nests, one in the loft and one in the copse.   Hornets are eating them.      I have lived alongside hornets for the last ten years.   They use the old trees in the garden to make their nest.    I have found them to be passive.    I like hornets.

When I saw the Emperor dragonfly early one morning my heart missed a beat.    I could barely breath.    I had left my camera inside.    I flew into the house :)     One photograph before he took flight.   This beautiful creature has the largest wingspan of any British dragonfly.       They live for one month, after a nymphal stage lasting two years.    Each year they visit...........my love for them never fades.   They really are such magical and mystical  creatures.

Happy Sunday safari.

Sunday safari.

The juvenile Green Woodpecker is very vulnerable.

 There are too many Magpies in the garden at the moment.   Beware, little one.

 The copse is a wonderful place for birds to hide.   Overgrown, and more than a little out of control, it gives much needed shelter to wildlife.     We all need shelter :)

Butterflies have been few....I have missed them.      Meadow brown seemed to have increased in numbers.     They hatch between June and August.     The Suffolk poet John Clare seemed to describe them in his Shepherd's Calender for June 'Where their old visitors in russet brown, the haytime butterflies dance up and down.'

Wasps are eating the plums.   I do not mind, there are plenty to go around.   I am happy to share.
Sharing is good......I am a first born child, we take care of siblings that follow us.   Sharing is good for the soul.

Pretty bee.   I do so love the bees.

I wonder if the honey bee has come from the village.     We have several bee keepers.    I shall be a keeper of bees one day.   I will wait until the grand children are a little older.

The humble bumble will always have a place in my heart.    Such sweet and gentle creatures.
My mother tells me  when I was small, I would sit in my Grandparents cottage garden and watch them for ages.   I have always had a connection with Dumbledores.......bless the bees.

Happy Sunday safari.

Butterflies

Research by Butterfly Conservation shows over a third of our British butterfly species are threatened with extinction.   Loss of habitat following intensification of farming in the countryside over the pass 40 years and a succession of damagingly wet summers have contributed to their decline.

This year I have seen far less butterflies than in recent years.   I intend to extend my butterfly borders during the autumn.   I will also make more spaces for hibernation.

My garden would be less without these beautiful creatures........  

Reed Buntings........

Reed buntings have been feeding alongside sparrows for the last two months.
I managed to get two very poor photographs today but I am really pleased because now I have a visual record of them. I love the male reed buntings white collar, moustachial streak and black head. I am smitten......they are such a sweet pair.

The female will build her nest in a tussock of rush or among dense vegetation close to the ground. The river is only a mile away. Maybe they will bring their young to the garden. I live in hope.

I shall be using 'Sanctuary' as a wildlife diary.......I need to keep a more accurate record of the creatures that frequent the garden. You are more than welcome to visit and leave a comment if you so desire.

Take time to smell the flowers will be used to show the progress in the garden and the flowers that bloom there.

Safari: bugs and blooms

It is funny how things turn out. The problems caused by the rabbits during the winter months really got me down. At one point I did not know how to cope with the continuous damage to plants, shrubs and trees.

A few days ago, I realised I was taking gardening far too seriously.

It is supposed to be enjoyable.....
I am back on track.....why did I seek perfection, when in reality, I am not a perfectionist.
I had lost sight of the little things, that have always given me so much pleasure.

Walking the garden today was a joy. There is so much that is new to me.

On reflection, the rabbits did me a huge favour.

I was in a rut.

My journey with the garden and wildlife has turned another corner.

There are still rabbits in the garden every night but most of the plantings are surviving. I am learning, I am growing with the garden.

The garden is teaming with wildlife....the best year yet, especially bees.
That makes me happy, it truly does.

All things bright and beautiful

I am pleased with the changes in the garden. There are mistakes, plenty in fact, but the garden is full of flowers and insects.

Some of my all time favourites are still around.......like cerinthe major purpurea.

Native ragged robin is doing well....planted amongst red campion, she is now a survivor.

Oriental poppies are a feature in one of the island beds. Not my favourite, but I must say she cheers me. Bold and loud, she makes a statement I have learnt to like. I did not plant them.....the garden was full when we moved here. I removed all but a group in the island bed.

The lacy blooms of elder......I really love the flowers. The fragrance is intense in the garden as she frequents every boundary here. Lovely.

Honeysuckle, so elegant, so timeless.

Marsh frogs breed in May/June. The biggest frog in Europe and a fairly recent import to Britain. A small number of marsh frogs were released in a garden on the edge of Romney Marsh in 1935. They have since spread to other parts of the South East. I am a thirty minute drive away from the marshes.

This chap arrived eight days ago. He croaks all day, he croaks all night, all day, all night. Is there anyone out there with a lady marsh frog, pleeeeeeeease?

Safari and garden update.

Our native Maiden Pink grows in the southern half of England and is now on the Red Data list. A few years ago I managed to source some plants from a wildflower supplier. They are now thriving in the garden. These dainty little flowers attract many insects including butterflies.

Common valerian, another UK native, has the most wonderful scent. I bought a plant several years ago........it has self seeded all around the garden.

Persicaria amplexicaulis Firetail.........a new plant to the garden. It spreads rapidly, and the pretty flowers dance around in the breeze. It is also a great support for other blooms in the borders.

This is Riley's favourite flower........iris germanica.......he loves the colour and the beard.......

This is one of my favourites at the moment. Another cheap purchase from the supermaket......

Paeonia lactiflora 'Shirley Temple'..........what can I say.....she is absolutely beautiful.
Sisyrinchium.......I really do like the pretty buttery blooms. Whilst they only last one season, they are great at self seeding, so you never lose them.

I do not have a name tag for the clematis.....she has reached the top of the pear tree and is in full bloom.......

It is hot and humid today....a little too hot for me. The swallows are enjoying the heat and visit the garden frequently. They arrived from Africa around six weeks ago......always a joy to know they have returned to our part of the world.
It is a good year, so far, for bees.......

the gardens are positively buzzzzzing......

I am thrilled that the plantings are attracting more and more of these important creatures......where would we be without them??

Also lots of caterpillars.....if anyone can help with the id of this one, I would be more than grateful.

And finally the speckled yellow, a familiar sight along woodland paths during June and July. This pretty moth is found mostly in SE and SW England. I believe also north Wales (but I am not absolutely certain). They lay their eggs on wood sage, and dead-nettles...........I have both in the garden, so fingers crossed.

Enjoy your weekend and happy gardening...........