We’ve had some much needed rain, not as much as promised though… But certainly you can visibly see the garden breathe a sigh of relief.
The garden is romping away, grass permanently needs mowing and my Peas have flowers on them already.
I recently got some thistles, to add to the garden after having read that some are especially loved by all manner of Butterfly; there’s no way I could possibly not have them in the garden. So far I’ve only seen Bees visiting them, but hope as summer progresses we’ll have flutters enjoying them.
The eared Lady Fern is so very pretty,
The Foamflower and Fern have now been planted in the Cherry border, I hope they do well there.
Raindrop on flower I still haven’t found the name for… It’s very long and starts with A…
Can anyone identify this little Bee? It’s seriously tiny!
Brook Thistle is attracting the Bees for me
Whilst the Tuberous Thistle doesn’t yet have blooms, but booooy does its thorns hurt.
Astrantia Major Roma should bloom soon, my others are well behind this one; but it is a mature plant I’ve had years…
Weigela blooms… I don’t actually like this shrub and one day it will probably be removed but for now it can stay a little longer.
A common sight around the garden at the moment…
Geranium Samobor continues to brighten up the Cherry border, I’m very impressed how large it’s got in just the one season.
Another lovely shaggy Aquilegia, so, so SO happy to see them blooming this year.
Crab Spider? Creepy!
Raindrops always look so beautiful when caught on Lupin leaves.
The Dicentra are still blooming, I don’t actually think they’ve ever bloomed for so long… Must’ve been going over a month now.
Forget-me-nots are close to finishing, time to collect some seeds from the white ones I think.
Clematis Marjorie’s blooms are now almost fully open
Sweet Rocket looks lovely!
17 comments:
Your macro pictures are so incredible...I find myself oooooing and awwing at every one wishing to see them in person....I just love visiting your blog...
No idea what sort of bee that is, but it's very sweet! The photo of the raindrop on the unidentified flower is amazing....your photos never fail to astound me!
Hi Liz,
Your garden is positively blooming....and seems at about the same stage as mine.
Your ladies bonnets are so pretty.
I never tire of them. I have so many cross pollenated blooms in my garden and they are all so lovely.
Pretty thistle. I have found teasels and verbena bonariensis
the best plant for attracting butterflies. If you cut the teasels back as they start to grow, they do not reach their normal dizzy heights and they then look lovely in a border.
I also have the same bees in my garden....
I wonder if it might be one of the leaf cutter, or sweat bees??
They are so hard to id....we have so many solitary bees in UK.
Have a good week....and glad you got some rain. I got a little, but is is better than nothing.....
Hi Donna,
:) Thank you very much! Trust me, things don't look quite so impressive in real life, although I hope I am finally getting there!
Hi Liz,
I can find the ID of the flower easily as I have the tag outside, only when I'm writing a blog it just seems oh-so far away! Lol. It ends in themum, something like Arglythemum or something else equally made up!! hahaha.
Hi Cheryl,
Things are looking much better in previous years, there are still areas that need a lot of work but everything is on hold for now until I can spare the time. Just this week left of essays, then I'm off to Norfolk for a week and then I can get doing jobs - as well as writing a dissertation, obviously!
I sowed some of your yellow Aquilegias, and have quite a few seedlings now, so I need to pot them on and then hope to have some blooming next year :)
For me the Verbena never really attracts much, although it did have the skipper and small copper around it last year. I lost all mine again in the snow, so need to buy some more - I'm not so sure how many more times I'm prepared to replace them though, even if I do really like them. I also love Hastata and wish they were as readily available in the shops like Bonariensis is - the Bees love Hastata, especially the Carder Bees and I actually prefer hastata's tall spires.
Dreamy photos again Liz, I love the light and soft colours. The thistle is gorgeous. My deep red astrantia is just starting to bloom, but I can't photograph it due to the wind! The white astrantia is way behind, even though it is a more settled plant. I'm sure it used to be the other way around. Glad your aquilegias are strutting their stuff - I am waiting for our simpler ones to come out, definitely attract more insect life than the doubles I have flowering at the moment. BTW, do you still have loads of ladybirds? Mine seem to have gone off somewhere, or died due to too little food. If they had only hung around a little longer they could have feasted on the aphids...
Glad that you have had some of the wet stuff at last Liz.
Funnily enough here 'Roma' is behind the other astrantias. I can only guess it's because it's in a shadier spot. I am off to find out more about the 'Lady Fern' which looks most desirable.
Hi Liz - took the bee id challenge and research suggests might be a Coelioxys - the cuckoo of leaf cutter bee nests. Just wondered. Such a fresh looking collection of pastel portraits in your safari- but the thistle stands out with a colourful surprise
Hi Janet,
Roma is beginning to flower here now too; these photos were taken a few days ago! But the white - snowstar doesn't even look to have buds appearing yet, but another pink type I forget the name of now does have some appearing so will probably be a few weeks yet before they bloom.
I have some of the single Aquilegias too, and yep the Bees do seem to like them, although tbh my large pink one is being attacked by something this year when normally nothing goes for them at all?? I have some small seedling pink types too which are just beginning to bloom now and so far, they've been spared from whatever's going for them.
As it happens, no I don't have as many Ladybirds. I do still have some; took a photo of a 2 spot this morning but otherwise, yes they've disappered :( Lots of Hoverflies though, so something at least will be able to tackle the Aphids.
Hi Anna,
At the moment the other pink Astrantias (forget their name) are being smothered somewhat by the Asters and Alliums that have taken over the 'new' border, so I suspect that's probably why they're not quite blooming but otherwise Roma is the only one... I think I ought to divide it soon, as I've had it around 5 years.
Mmm, love the sweet soft photos and the vivid ones. I am excited to see my Astrantia 'Moulin Rouge' bloom this year (hopefully) for the first time. Yours looks great, too.
Gorgeous photos Liz, I always love the lighting in your pictures. The brook thistle is beautiful, much more crimson in color than our thistles here. I love the delicate looking blooms on your clematis too!
That red thistle is a stunner! Love 'Samabor', it's such a great, hardy plant...love it backlit in that photo!
Hi Liz,
It really is spring! I enjoyed seeing your blooms and the bee is a cutie. I don't know my names of insects as much as I'd like to. I love that clematis!
Your garden is blooming a good month ahead of mine! It makes me look forward to my blooms. :-) Your pictures are all so clear. Just lovely.
OMG!! What absolutely fabulous photos, I know I will have achieved a lot when mine start to look like that.
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