Garden Diary – Week of the Six Butterflies Garden Diary

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 mid-April.

We’ve then had a break with just an odd one or two until last week. The Red admiral was the first I got a snap of. I then saw a Comma, but despite my best efforts it kept alluding me.

I videoed a Peacock & Small tortoiseshell together. I didn’t video all the cabbage whites, it’s funny how we don’t tend to snap the wildlife we consider a pest!

And finally the Holly blue, which I find incredibly hard to get photos of as they don’t keep still!

I’ve only found out this week that they get their common name from almost exclusively laying their eggs on holly. So that’s why they are so often in our garden as we have an 80ft long holly hedge, plenty of leaves to choose there!

There’s always a week when the produce suddenly steps up a gear and that was last week. Rather than one cucumber there were five, pleasing the gardeners mate no end, as there were enough to make his favourite cucumber cake.

The orange, cherry, tumbling tomatoes kicked off the tomato season. Although planting up a hanging basket in these conditions is feeling like a daft idea! It needs watering twice a day.

I sowed them back in February, intending to let them tumble over a pot. And then made the fatal mistake of having a look down ‘that isle’ in Aldi, spotting a rather attractive hanging basket.

That isle should carry a warning, ‘approach with care, you will be going home with something you didn’t know you needed’! Anyway the tomatoes are delicious, so all’s well.

We also picked the first courgettes, there’ll be no stopping them now! And some carrots for Sunday dinner.

So, the kitchen garden is off and most of the summer flowers are out. The dieramas are dancing in the breeze and a mass of poppies suddenly appeared. I guess that means it’s summer.

The weather also felt more like ‘British summer’ temperatures, but it looks like we’re heading for our third heatwave of the year next week. Better get those fans back out!

Monday 29th June 2026

Penstemon buddied up with the scabious 🌿🩷💜🩷💜

A nice cool 18 degrees this morning, heatwave over!

#magentamonday #pinkflowers #penstemon

The bees are absolutely loving the ‘Purple loosestrife’ in the pond🌿🩷🐝🌸💦

#bees #savethebees #pollinators #pond #magentamonday

Tuesday 30th June 2026

Mini Cucumbers are so much more practical than the traditional sized varieties. These two are ‘Mini munch’ & ‘Cuccino’ & according to the ‘gardeners mate’, they taste delicious 🥒🥒 #Homegrown #growyourown #kitchengarden #cucumbers

I don’t think my Lavender has ever looked so good. It’s covered in flowers & the heads seem larger than usual 💜💜💜

There are more bees now, but not comparable to how many used to come 🐝😕 #TuesdayBlue #lavender

Wednesday 1st July 2026

I’m pleased to report lots of butterflies this year, in my garden & elsewhere 😊 Yesterday it was Red Admiral’s 🦋🦋🦋

#WildlifeWednesday #butterflies #butterfly #mygarden

Thursday 2nd July 2026

Trust me to buy my first hanging basket in donkeys years when it’s so hot!

I’d already sown tomato ‘tumbling Tom’ 🍅 when I saw this basket in Aldi – you know that aisle that pulls you over to buy things you don’t need! 😂

Well constant watering has paid off! #tomatoes #homegrown

Friday 3rd July 2026

The Dierama flowers have opened fully this week & the wind has had them bobbing around. Making it plain to see why they are called Angels Fishing Rod 🌿🌸🌾 #flowersonfriday #Dierama #pinkflowers #pinkfriday

Saturday 4th July 2026

Dahlias, Day lilies, Achilleas, hydrangeas, & poppies. It must be summer! 🌿🩷☀️🧡🌺🌿 #SaturdayBlooms #sixonsaturday #dahlias #bloomscrolling

I’ve been reporting more butterflies in the garden than we’ve had for a few years. Yesterday was particularly good & I managed to capture two in the same shot, a Peacock & a Small tortoiseshell 🦋🦋 #butterflies #wildlifegarden #butterfly

Good night from the poppies 🩷🌺💜

Short lived, but stunningly beautiful!

#poppy #poppies #papaver #flowers

Sunday 5th July 2026

Courgette flowers or Zucchini for our friends abroad 🥒🌼really stand out in the raised vegetable beds. I’ve grown a yellow variety too this year, been a while since I did 💛

#SundayYellow #homegrown #summerblooms