Sunday 24 April 2011

Sunday Safari


We’ve got another big update, so get yourself a cup of tea and an Easter Egg and settle yourself ready to look at ample photos.

Sorry kids, it’s that time of year when everything is appearing and with the amazing weather we’ve had for the past 3 weeks in the UK, I just cannot help myself. Mid-afternoon on Saturday saw the heavens open up, causing some major flash flooding in other parts of the city, instead I just went outside and danced in the lovely cooling rain… Thunder rolled across the city almost none-stop for an hour, and we managed to escape the huge hail that some parts got; ping-pong ball size!

This fly was taking a well-earned break on a dying tulip

I discovered these on the Hawthorn hedge… I think they’re sawfly larvae




I adore this white bleeding heart…

And Geranium Phaeum is almost in bloom, I’ve wanted this dusky bloom for years now! I was given it by a friend last year and am ever grateful :)

There have been Hoverflies hovering all over the garden for the past couple of weeks, they must enjoy the heat too.

The Anemone coonaria de caen I posted a while back developed into a lovely white, it started out green!

The Dandelions are taking over my neighbour’s garden… He normally strims it himself but recently an old arm injury has made it too difficult for him so he has a guy come round to do it… But it’s Easter so he hasn’t been for around a week.


Next door’s Lilac is in full flow now and I get to smell it every time I go out the door… I might’ve stolen a couple of blooms off it as it’s against the dividing hedge *whistle*


Herb Robert geranium is flowering, it’s grown very large this year; probably due to being right next to the compost bin, it’s having a field day! A little Hoverfly seemed to enjoy its pollen anyway.

And kitty that wants to move in was back and saw me laying on the grass, so decided to copy me.

There have been lots of Bees around scouting the soil slopes… I think they’re solitary mining Bees, and they seemed to like this wet sloppy mud I poured onto the border from a trug I had.



The Sparrows have discovered loads of aphids on the Roses… These are the first Aphids I’ve seen actually, as there are barely any in the back garden thanks to the army of Ladybirds.



The Sweet Rocket is getting rather tall, I hadn’t expected it to be so large.



The Ajuga looks lovely in the shady Cherry border, I look forward to it creating a nice carpet.

Clematis Montana Rubens is flowering in its temporary home, its blooms are far smaller than I remember… I wonder if it’s unhappy where it is… I think it’s because it’s too hot.

The monster Campanula will soon be blooming, strangely this year it’s growing up rather than out.

Aquilegia is adding a nice splash of colour, although it isn’t as large as it normally is, I can’t see any reason why though.

And my lovely, self-sown Aquilegia… I love its deep purple colour. So very pretty.

And finally, another Aquilegia… We have a few more self seeders beginning to bloom. One of which is the shaggy type from our last garden and I’m so unbelievably happy to see it!

Tomato seedlings are growing nicely and definitely appreciated the rain yesterday!

The Beans loved the rain too.

And I think it’s almost time to plant the Sweet Peas

It’s almost the turn of the Alliums to take over the show… And boy what a show it will be this year. In one border I have 27! Stay tuned to see how they progress.



Copyright 2011 Liz.
All rights reserved. Content created by Liz for Gwirrel’s Garden.

3 comments:

On My Soapbox said...

What beautiful photos! Have you ever considered selling them online (as prints or on greeting cards)?

Donna said...

wow you are getting nice warm sunny weather and I have cold rain..h well your pics are fab and I love the one of the hoverfly...

Janet/Plantaliscious said...

I am so jealous that you had rain, I would have been dancing in it too, it is parched here, I'm going to have to top the pond up from the tap, which I hate. Your photos make even larvae look lovely. The ping aquilegia is gorgeous, and I am a big fan of Gernaium phaeum, and hoping mine is going to put on a really good show this year - I only got it last year. So much else that caught my eye, but this is already an essay, so lets leave it at "lovely"!