You’ve been a strange year in many ways – as a blogger I’ve been a bit of a stranger too. Lazy, garden hours wildlife pond watching have been in complete contrast to longer, hard-working gardening days. Tiny, delicate lace wings of large red damselflies in complete contrast to thuggish weeds invading the gravel path nearby.… Read More Bye bye 2015
A torch during tonight’s night garden walk in the rain revealed soggy flowers from Japanese Anemones and Astrantia – their white, pink and deep red flowers are fading with each day just now. Osteospermum ‘Stardust’, the hardy geranium ‘Rozanne’ and Gentiana sino-ornata all had one folded flower nodding as if asleep in the rain. The… Read More GBBD: Gunnera standing tall
Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’ This post was published by Shirley for shirls gardenwatch in September 2015.
Silver Anniversary Rose with a scattering of Confetti (Mix) Confetti for this wedding related rose wasn’t a planned companion planting. It was only in reviewing photos I realised this fun, accidental spin. Virginian Stock ‘Confetti Mix’ seeds sown direct in border back on May 23rd. Confetti mix was intended as summer filler in area of… Read More Alternative companion planting
What a surprise to see you yesterday – just as I was leaving the garden. (runs for video camera) 52sec compilation with background music, try HD quality. Yay… early evening and we meet in the garden again (runs for still camera). It’s been 6 yrs, last sighting in 2009 during mass migration year here in… Read More Look out for Painted Lady butterflies in 2015
(Honeysuckle) Lonicera x americana How pretty you look now – just how did I forget about you? Flowering in morning sunshine – you’ll grow up to overlook the pond 🙂 Admired at Gardening Scotland a good few years ago, this impulse buy didn’t really have a proper place back in the garden. How familiar does… Read More Welcome back, americana…
When choosing a family day out on a sunny day here in the UK, if it’s within driving distance, many will choose the beach. Wildlife moments can be found by rock pooling but sand dunes are also a great place for wildlife discoveries – taking gardenwatch on tour again 🙂 Just as in our gardens,… Read More Haze of yellow Ragwort on sand dunes
There was a deep inhale of breath as the tripod toppled and the video camera entered the water in the garden pond! A quick arm’s reach to catch a tripod leg stopped the whole camera going fully under water. Okay, so I have been secretly wishing for an underwater camera to see all that’s living… Read More Pond dipping video camera films again!
When choosing a UK holiday, we tend to pick countryside locations. Since writing this gardenwatch blog, I’ve found myself looking out many a holiday cottage window at the birds flying around. I began wishing I had packed some bird food with me although, realistically, would they find it if I did? So, a few years… Read More Holidays – taking gardenwatch on tour
The Perseids have begun and peak on the night of the 12/13 August. Here's how to see them when #ISS spotting tonight http://t.co/yaVOy1ey8T — VirtualAstro (@VirtualAstro) August 5, 2015 This post was published by Shirley for shirls gardenwatch in August 2015.