Silent Sunday – 20th November 2022
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Six on Saturday – 28th August 2021
There is a real feel of autumn in the air. So first this week in the garden is a lovely spider web – there were lots this morning.
Spider web
In the wildflower meadow, the late summer – autumn flowers are out – first devil’s bit scabious. I love the colour of this flower.
Devil’s bit scabious
Also in the meadow is knapweed. A great pollinator plant.
Common knapweed
Autumn of course brings fruit. We don’t have much this year (cold, May with frost) and the brambly apples have got scab – for the first time ever.
Scabby apple
Autumn also bring seeds heads – poppies being one of my favourite.
Poppy seed heads
Thankfully there is still some colour – here from snapdragons.
Snapdragon
Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.
Favourites 2019
Choosing some of my favourite photographs of the year is not that easy. Where to start?
This image is from January 2019, from the west coast of Ireland. The light on the west coast is pretty special.
West coast Ireland
Then daffodils – what is there not to like as they herald the start of spring. I was particularly pleased with this image, which I darkened a little from the original.
Spring also brings blossom – against the blue sky, it just says happiness to me.
And springs brings with it one of my favourite animals, our beautiful bumblebees. I take lots of photos of bees and it is hard to choose one. Here the common carder bee on a vetch flower.
Common carder
We were lucky to visit two wonderful places this year. First The Burren in County Clare in late August. I just loved all the wildflowers and limestone landscape and walls.
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The second place was Inishbiggle, a tiny island off the west coast of Ireland.
And at the end of the summer my favourite butterfly image.
Peacock
With the return of autumn and winter we again get that wonderful light along the coast.
And two photos to finish – an abstract.
And a black and white
A huge thank you to the four lens artists (Ann-Christine, Amy, Tina and Patti) who give us the lens artist challenge each week.
Wordless Wednesday
Belmullet Co. Mayo
Six on Saturday
We have had a minor disaster this week in that strong winds (not even a storm, but a gust of strong wind during some heavy rain) felled one of my favourite apple trees. Both in 2017 and in 2018 it was also our most productive tree so a big loss.
Annie Elizabeth apple tree
Here in the west of Ireland we have had a very wet spell with what feels like constant rain. So while there are good blackberries and autumn raspberries, many are going rotten because of the rain.
Blackberries
We have a reasonable crop of cob nuts, but each year we loose a lot to nut weevil grubs. We wait to see what this year brings.
Cob nut
It’s all a bit negative isn’t it – so here is some positive news. The chicks are growing. They have been moved out to the polytunnel during the day, and are enjoying consuming chickweed which tends to seed itself in the poly and greenhouse!!
Growing chicks
While in County Clare I really saw the value of scabious as a pollinator plant. We do have a small patch of wild devils-bit scabious but it is one thing I will try and grow more of next year. I also hope to try out some of the cultivated forms too.
Devils bit scabious with pollnantors
Devils bit scabious with hoverfly
Finally for this weeks six, Osteospermum. In one of my previous gardens, this plant did really well, but it has failed to thrive here in the west. This time I bought a potted plant and just re-potted it in a larger pot. And this is its second flowering. I will over winter in the greenhouse or polytunnel and maybe keep it as a pot plant for next year.
Osteospermum
Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six on Saturday.
Heritage Week Events
This week Ireland celebrates Heritage Week. It is a week to celebrate all the wonderful things in Ireland’s natural, cultural and built heritage. There are over 2000 events happening throughout the county. As part of the week I will be hosing two events this coming Wednesday, 21st August. See below for details.
To find out what events are happening on your area follow this link.
Hands
Our hands, like our finger prints, are unique. Big, small, long, wide, chubby, thin. Each beautiful they’re own way.
Better days
An old house on Achill Island, Co Mayo. The plant in front is Gunnera, or Giant Rhubarb, an invasive species which is spreading through the island.
Old house
Inspired by Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge – any kind of house
Small is beautiful
A collection of small creatures for this week’s Lens Artist photo challenge #11. Firstly some bumblebees, as regular readers will know I have a soft spot for them.
bee
bee
bee
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bee
Next, some tiny, but equally beautiful creatures.
ladybird
tiny frog
Murtagh's Meadow 