Summer Flowers in The Garden

 

 

The hot, dry weather continues here in Southern Scotland, and the flowers and insects are benefitting. The oregano around the pond is a particular favourite. It has become a self-seeding patch in the large stones surrounding the tiny pond and is frequented by insects while in flower, and Bullfinches when the seeds form.

We allowed half a dozen really large thistles to flower in the garden, and the Gold Finches have fed happily on their seeds, leaving drifts of feathery, white clocks around the plants as they nip off the tasty seeds.

We have a single small raised bed dedicated to wildflowers (as well as numerous naturally-occurring areas around the garden). This year Feverfew has been the winner - last year it was a single poppy plant that produced 100s of flower heads from a single plant. There have been more butterflies in evidence this year, and the wasps have made a nest on the back of the greenhouse after several failed attempts in the compost bin.

The House Martins have successfully raised a brood from our front porch, along with several broods of Sparrows, who took over their older nests earlier in the year.

Like many parts of the country, we have had a very dry year, but with scattered showers of rain that have kept the grass a little greener.

May Flowers in the Garden

 The rain and warmer weather have brought many plants into flower in recent days.

The garlic continues to grow after its late sowing in January

The thyme is in flower, in a pot on the patio

A rather battered strawberry flower

Some unusually-coloured marigolds

Hardy geranium/cranesbill

Bladder nut blossom. We have yet to enjoy the 'fruits' of this large shrub: a nut-like seed in a bladder-shaped casing

 

Honeysuckle bud

 

Ox-eye daisy

Vetch-like flower. Not sure what this is!

Chives

Tayberry blossom

Red Mason Bee, Apple and Pear Blossom, Dandelions

 At the end of April, we have plenty of blossom on the fruit trees and bushes ... 

Crab Apple Blossom

Pear Blossom

Red or White Currant Flowers

It took us a while to identify this insect that we see repeatedly on the gooseberry flowers ...

Red Mason Bee

And there are plenty of these attractive flowers (or weeds!) in our garden. They attract Goldfinches to eat the seeds, and pollinating insects to the flowers.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Blossom Time

 My favourite time of year as the blossom appears ...

Green gage

Flowering cherry

Apple

Crab apple

 

Pear

Minnow

Unidentified shrub!

Broad beans in a raised bed

Narcissus

Hornbeam leaves unfurling

Thale Cress, Four Seasons Strawberry, Garlic, Daffodils, and Pieris Japonica

More signs of life in the garden, but recent ground frosts and cold nights seem to have set things back again, after the warm February.

Rosemary in flower: a rather tired shrub planted in an old water tank on the patio.

Strawberry Four Seasons (more like three) has its first flower: growing in a tub on the patio. It produces tiny, rather bland fruits.

The garlic continues to grow well in a raised bed. Probably the most trouble free vegetable that we grow. The wire is to stop blackbirds and our cat from digging up the bulbs!

Our daffodils are in full flower. They seem very late compared to most that we see. The narcissuses are just starting to produce buds and flowers, too.

A Pieris Japonica growing in a gap on the patio is covered in blossom. We saw a large bumble bee feeding on it earlier in the week.

A Thale Cress (?) plant that is making its home on the patio.

Flowering Plum, Wild Plum and Red Dead-Nettle

The warm and sunny weather continues and the garden is becoming greener by the day. The Red Dead-Nettle (Lamium purpureum) has been in flower for a number of weeks. This plant moved into the garden without our help and is scattered here and there, mainly in short grass, next to pathways.

The wild plum hedge continues to blossom.

This decorative flowering plum does not produce fruit but has delicate, downward-facing, early blossoms on crooked branches. It has lichen growing on it within a few years of planting: the delicate cool green of the lichen looks beautiful against the pale pink flowers.

More wild plum blossom against the blue sky. The large female bumble bees have been making the most of this abundant blossom, crawling from one blossom to the next. Honey bees are also regular visitors.

Pets in the Garden, More Crocuses and Plum Blossom

 Spring is in the air and the pets are enjoying the garden. Rob and I take a daily walk around, noticing the changes and new plants appearing.

 

Russian Comfrey. We have a big patch of this at the foot of an evergreen bush and hazel tree. The flowers appear very early in the year (February), before there are any insects to enjoy them. It makes a good ground cover plant, and doesn't mind a shady spot.

Our senior pup, Brock, now 12 years old.

Minnow cat is 9 years old, and not in the mood for being photographed today.

The perfect blossoms of the wild plum tree. It produces little yellow plums later in the year, which are rather bland-tasting, but make good fruit crumble or jam.

The crocuses continue to add colour. We even saw our first two bumble bees on these flowers today, even though it got very cold in the shade. Rob administered some sugary syrup to one poor bee that had become almost comatose. It hungrily sucked it up.