We’ve seen a number of Brimstone Butterlies so far this year but this feels like the earliest I’ve even seen a Comma (as ever all that means is they’ve flitted away before I got sight of them). A brief video of it sat there in the breeze.
Category: Nature
What to do about Moles
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I’d got some molehills in my vegetable bed. Our garden backs on to some fields and, in the past, we’ve had moles at the border between our garden and the fields and (occasionally) coming down the hedge between us and our next door neighbour. However, this is…… Continue reading What to do about Moles
The Role of Mushrooms in Gardening: Why Grow Your Own
Mushrooms and slime mold growing in the garden? Some might think this spells bad news for their plants, but this isn’t the case. In fact, fungi play …The Role of Mushrooms in Gardening: Why Grow Your Own
The Birds think spring is on the way
Despite the cold weather (heavy frosts for the last few days) the birds seem to think that spring isn’t that far away. The days are starting to get longer and the birds are starting to look for nesting sites with the blue tits and great tits taking a look inside the nestboxes. In the last…… Continue reading The Birds think spring is on the way
First signs of Spring 2023
Although it’s been a mild winter with only a few days of frost and no snow (as yet), it’s still nice to see the first signs of spring. The evenings are light later, the birds are collecting around the feeders and the snowdrops and aconites are starting to show colour. We’ve managed to protect the…… Continue reading First signs of Spring 2023
Another Squirrel Bites the Dust
I’ve written about my battles with the squirrels before. At the moment they are concentrating on collecting and burying acorns around the garden. It doesn’t really matter as most of the vegetables and fruit are picked and either eaten or stored for later. The only things that are left are carrots and lettuces. However, concentrating…… Continue reading Another Squirrel Bites the Dust
Magpies vandalising our Lawn
Our lawn is in a bad state. The shading of the trees and the dry summer has encouraged the moss to grow. There’s not a lot we can do about it. But this year the magpies have had a real go pulling up the moss. I assume they’re after cranefly larva (leatherjackets). But it could…… Continue reading Magpies vandalising our Lawn
Flying Ant Day 2022
This year has been a bad year for blackfly, made worse (in our garden at least) by the fact that they are moved around from one plant to another by ants. They started on the broad beans which they forced me to harvest earlier than usual so they were smaller and migrated to the dwarf…… Continue reading Flying Ant Day 2022
Box Tree Moth – a relative newcomer
With the recent hot weather our windows and doors have been open in the evening and so more insects than usual have appeared. I’m not one who can identify insects (my grandfather was the entomologist) but this one looked pretty and I thought I would be able to identify it. Out came the Butterfly and…… Continue reading Box Tree Moth – a relative newcomer
Elephant Hawkmoth
Whilst described by my Field Guide as ” one of the more common European hawkmoths”, I don’t remember ever seeing one before. This dead specimen was on the floor of one of our greenhouses. I’ll have to keep a watch out for the caterpillars because they can be voracious eaters of both the plants and…… Continue reading Elephant Hawkmoth