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Garden Diary – Giant Bees & Moths amongst the Agapanthus
The Agapanthus have come out fully this week, no doubt encouraged by the high temperatures. Coming from South Africa it’s not surprising that they’re happy. I remember an episode on Gardeners World about 10 years ago, when one of the presenters visited South Africa and showed us agapanthus growing wild on masse, what a treat to see! Anyway my bumblebees think they’re having a treat, in and out of the trumpet-shaped flowers. Some of the bumblebees on them have been the largest I’ve ever seen, I honestly don’t know how they fly! I had another exciting, large flying visitor this week, a Humming-bird Hawk-moth ‘Graeham Mounteney’. It first caught my…
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Garden Diary – Wildlife watching whilst watering
At last, a fresher breeze on Monday morning when I was out watering, I’d almost forgotten what cool felt like! I am a bit fed-up spending so much more time watering when I’d rather be gardening, especially at this time of year when there’s so much to do. There is a benefit though of watering, as it makes me stand still, which gives me time to notice even more wildlife. I’ve had a ‘silver Y’ moth on the scabious every morning, which has encouraged me to keep deadheading. I always thought of moths as nocturnal but I’ve been surprised how many are around in the daytime. It seems the glut…
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Garden Diary – At least the tomatoes like the heatwave!
The only good thing about this heatwave, is that it’s the right time of year for the tomatoes, and they’re ripening so quickly. This is definitely the earliest we’ve had beefsteak sized tomatoes, ‘Brandywine’ our favourite of course! The garden has had a lot of bumblebees and hover flies all year, but there’s seems more than ever at the moment, doing a magnificent job of pollinating all my produce. I’m not sure we stop and appreciate what they do for us often enough! I try and provide lots of flowers that the bees like, and when poppies seed themselves – where I don’t really want them – I leave them…
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Garden Diary – Week of the Six Butterflies
We’re lucky to have lots of butterflies in the garden, but I don’t remember ever having six species in one week before. I can only assume that the warm weather has brought them all out together. It’s incredible considering that this time last year I was so concerned at the low numbers. And I wasn’t alone, lots of gardeners on the gardening socials were saying the same, we were all concerned. So, I am especially happy with my fluttering garden this year. It started really early too with a Peacock back on 4th March. That was followed by a Holly blue on the 2nd April and an Orange tip in…
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Garden Diary – It’s even too hot for the Poppies!
So if we thought the week before was hot, I guess that makes this week ‘very hot’! The poor garden is wilting and so is the gardener! I’ve been out there early every morning watering, already needing sun cream on as it was hot enough to burn! As you have probably guessed, I don’t really do hot. I think most of us Brits prefer a maximum of mid-twenty degrees. When it climbs up into the thirties the country grinds to a crawl. One thing loving the heat is the strawberries, and to my absolute amazement the squirrels have completely left them alone this year. The blackbird had helped itself one…
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Garden Diary – Sunday Dinner with Patricia, the longest day!
As predicted the week before, the heatwave has begun. I have resisted moaning so far, remembering the cold drizzle of last week. Apparently it’s set to be even worse next week, so I probably will give in and have at least a little moan. It’s been nice to sit out on the patio of an evening, especially with the mass of pink flowers from geranium ‘Patricia’ to enjoy. She was planted in the woodland border, but I moved her last year into the raised bed, bordering the patio and she hasn’t looked back. I can’t believe so many blooms can be on one plant! The other plant in the garden…
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Garden Diary – Was the Baby Robin after my purple chillies?
One morning, as I was photographing my purple chillies, a fledgling Robin appeared in the greenhouse. It ran around my tomato plants seeming quite confused, but after a short time it found the door and flew onto my outside chair. What a lovely start to my day! It was certainly rather breezy and drizzly last week, and I said to lots of people, “if we do get a heatwave next week and I’m moaning it’s too hot, just remind me about this horrible weather”. I don’t know how the poor bees hang onto the flowers when they’re bobbing all over the place! I captured one bee on my purple Geranium…
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Garden Diary – June – New Border, Roses & Strawberries
June means summer flowers and the produce properly getting going. Roses in full bloom scenting the air, the taste of our first strawberry and my one and only peony coming out, after me worrying it had died over winter. I like June! Campanulas have been popping up in the wilder border but more surprisingly in the opposite woodland border, where I certainly didn’t plant them. That’ll be my little wildlife friend’s. We had the first two ripe strawberries at the beginning of the week, but by Sunday we had a proper dish full for breakfast. I can’t believe, that neither the many squirrels or blackbirds haven’t spotted them yet. Long…
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Garden Diary – Heatwaves to fleeces, roses and DIY!
Well, that’s the end of May, and what a funny weather month it’s been! I think we’ve had every weather type accept snow. At least we’ve ended on a hot note. It’s a long time since we’ve had a bank holiday as warm as that, great for all the families on half term! Unfortunately we spent the whole weekend inside, as we’ve finally had our new kitchen delivered and we were attempting to work out what went where! As it happens, it was far too hot to be gardening anyway, accept of course for the seemingly endless watering. I don’t mind normal watering every few days, but the greenhouse needed…
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Garden Diary – Raindrops on roses to wilting in the heat
Seriously, can you believe our British weather? It’s no wonder it makes up a huge amount of our national conversation. We started last week with the heating on, moaning about all the rain. Discussing how April had clearly got mixed up with May, as we endured heavy ‘April’ showers. Worrying about the freshly opened flowers being ruined. And bursting into song about, ‘raindrops on roses…’ surely everyone was brought up on The sound of music? And then, by the end of the bank holiday weekend we were all moaning we were too hot! Struggling to keep up with the watering, especially in the greenhouse where twice a day was necessary,…
