The Essex Coast in winter
4 days ago
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Friday, 24 June 2011
Flaunting my flowers again
Here we go again, flaunting my flowers with Tootsie. We’ve had a mixed week with the weather but the rain never quite seems to be enough.
One of my new loves: David Austin ‘Harlow Carr’, I love its bluey pink hue. And in the coming years as it gets larger it will contrast nicely with the purples I’ve planted around it, currently it’s a little swamped.
Verbena in the hanging basket isn’t really trailing as I expected…
I got this Dahlia ‘Roxy’ last weekend… I’m not much of a Dahlia fan as I don’t like to nanny plants. But this was too pretty not to, it’s been planted with Nemesia ‘Wisley white’ and some more of the Argyranthemum.
And here is David Austin ‘Susan Williams-Ellis’
I think my camera memory card is going a bit mad… For some reason when I take photos of harlow carr the photos always turn on their side. Perhaps I’ve given it too much of a beating over the years with the volume of photos I take.
I’m not sure if any of my regular readers had noticed photos of these previously….
Those of you who regularly read my blog over the past couple of years will know I’ve had poor success getting my Cosmos to bloom early. Last year was dreadful and they didn’t come into flower until OCTOBER! Even though I sowed them well back in March or April.
Well this year I haven’t had such problems, these seeds came free with Garden’s Illustrated, however they do seem to be the dwarf variety; can’t have it all can we?!
Well this year I haven’t had such problems, these seeds came free with Garden’s Illustrated, however they do seem to be the dwarf variety; can’t have it all can we?!
Is this beauty ‘Rozanne’?
‘Harlow Carr’ being dwarfed by Verbena Hastata and Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’
And yet this year my Tomatoes are well behind last year even though they too were sown early in March. Oh well, maybe next year.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Monday, 20 June 2011
Macro Monday – Butterfly
I’m a little late, but it’s better than never!
On Saturday I noticed something fluttering around the garden...
Goodie! Thinks I.
Grab my camera and set off on the hunt:
Now, what's this I spy??
I ended up crawling along on my belly so not to scare it away, sadly it wasn't in the best of places with grass covering much of it.
Whilst waiting for the Small Tortoiseshell to move to a better position I also saw a Skipper land on the grass, I got up to attempt to also stalk it but it flew away :(
However I did spot this Speckled Wood feeding on Cotoneaster flowers... I didn't attempt to stalk this one though.
Thankfully it decided to sunbathe on the wall instead
They seem to like the perennial Wallflower
Anyway, I was out earlier and decided to take some photos, I was wandering around the garden and took some shots of a new Rose I recently planted as the blooms are slowly beginning to open... I bent over and came face to face with another small Tortoiseshell! I swear, I almost head-butted it. I hadn't even noticed it and no need for the stalking as it sat there sunbathing!
I think it's a different one as the wings are ragged and the colours aren't as bright.
Butterfly tooshie!
And here’s a close-up of the colour on the wings… It looks like it’s almost made from scales.
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