Category Archives: Garden

Six on Saturday – 11th June 2022

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I have been missing out on Six and Saturday the last while. Life is busy and Saturday’s are equally so. But here are my six for this week. The wildflower meadow is just getting going.

Wildflower meadow

Lots of blues and purples in the garden – like this iris

iris with bumblebee

Sage is looking good.

Sage

As is the lavender.

Lavender

And for a change of colour – how about a pink geranium?

geranium

And finally this week an aquilegia seed head.

Seed head

For more Six on Saturday check out Six on Saturday’s host page here – The Propagator.

Six on Saturday – 5th March 2022

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A mixed week but the last couple of days have been frosty and then bright. Feeling very like spring, and first pollinators are emerging so bit of a pollinator theme going on this week. Many thanks for our host “The Propagator” for hosting Six on Saturday. Check out the participation guide.

My first this week is a dandelion with the first of the pollinators, a hoverfly, which I think is Eristalis pertinax. It is really important that we leave dandelions to bloom as they are a very important food source for these early emerging pollinators.

Dandelion with hoverfly

Crocuses are another great food source for queen bumblebees that are emerging from hibernation at this time of year.

Crocus

Willow catkins, again here being used by hoverflies, and they will also be used by bumblebees.

Hoverfly on willow catkin

As will Hellebores.

Hellebores

I love daffodils – and the larger ones are also flowering now – bees will use them but only if they are really hungry and can’t find anything more appealing.

Daffodil

And finally this week the frogs have pretty much finished spawning in the garden pond (this photo is from earlier in the week). I hope the spawn won’t get too frosted.

Frogs

Wishing everyone a great gardening week.

Six on Saturday – 19th February 2022

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Seeing other Six on Saturday participants popping into my reader box, I feel the urge to get gardening, except it is very , very, wet and for the last few days stormy too! But then this morning we had SNOW! There was only a little and it quickly started to melt, but it makes the garden look pretty even if underneath everything is sodden. Many thanks for our host “The Propagator” for hosting Six on Saturday. Check out the participation guide.

First this week a friendly garden robin (my daughter calls him Timmy), puffed up against the cold.

Robin

Next, daffodils, tete-a-tete, copying with a dusting on snow.

mini daffodils

Third, frog spawn in garden pond – also trying to cope with slushy snow. Frogs arrived, like last year, in time for Valentines day. So far numbers are low, thirty at most, but hopefully more will come after this cold spell.

frog spawn

Fourth, hazel catkins with melting snow.

Hazel catkins

Fifth, willow catkins. The last few years these seem to acome earlier and earlier. There are even some green leaves on this Salix rubra.

Willow

And finally this week – snowdrops in snow.

Snowdrops

Six on Saturday – 16th October 2021

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Mid October and nearly Halloween. Below my squash and pumpkin harvest this year.

  • Squash and Pumpkin

The continuing relatively mild weather means that late flowering cosmos are still providing some good colour.

  • Cosmos

Meanwhile the sweet chestnuts are getting ripe.

  • Sweet chestnut

Once again the choke berry leaves are putting on a wonderful autumn display.

  • Chokeberry leaves

Some lovely rosehips on the dog rose.

  • Rosehips

And will this be (sorry somewhat blurred) the final bumblebee this year?

  • Common carder bee

Thanks to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

Six on Saturday – 9th October 2021

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Finally some respite from the rain. Temperatures though remain exceptionally mild for October. Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.

First this week a Hawthorn shieldbug – not that well camouflaged against the reddening leaves.

  • Hawthorn shieldbug

We are still getting some autumn raspberries – though the wet weather of the last three days has made them pretty squishy. Maybe able to harvest a few more this weekend as weather dries up a bit.

  • Raspberries

Not such good crop from the apples this year, and those few that are there, are being attacked by birds. Picked six good ones from the Pixie apple though.

  • Pixie apple
  • Pixie apple

Some hazel nuts too.

  • Hazel nut

There hasn’t been great germination of the winter lettuce.

  • Lettuce

But I am holding out for these brussels spouts to fill out for Christmas!

  • Brussel sprouts

Six on Saturday – 2nd October

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Not quite sure what happened to September, it seemed to go in a blink of an eye. It was a pretty mild month for us but things have definitely got a bit chiller in the last week. And the nights are really drawing in. The sunshine and heavy showers of the last couple of days have resulted in some beautiful rainbows though.

  • Double rainbow over workshop

The haws are showing great colour. Here an American hawthorn, who’s berries are not as plentifully this year as our native hawthorn trees.

  • Hawthorn berry

The poly tunnel plastic is showing its age. We did some repairs last year but this winter we are going to have to go for a new cover. The plastic is probably about 14 years and they say 10 is a good age, so I can’t really complain.

  • Polytunnel tear

This sweet chestnut trees is about 10 years old and this is the first year it has fruit – there are only about half a dozen fruits.

  • Sweet chestnut

This aster seems to have flowered late but is adding some well needed colour now.

  • Aster

Similarly, I had nearly given up hope that this sunflower would open but it had this morning, adding it’s own bit of sunshine.

  • Sunflower

Many thanks to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.