Six on Saturday – 9th May 2020

It is warm today. Close to 20 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow temperatures are going to drop again, to about 11, so it is from one extreme to another. We got a small amount of rain last week but it is still exceptionally dry for the west of Ireland.

1. I am not sure if it is the hot temperatures or the dry weather that has driven some of the frogs back to the pond. We saw four today – just chilling in the water.

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2. Also in the pond, one large great diving beetle.

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3. By the pond is also one of my favourite damp habitat flower – Ragged robin. There does not seem to be as much as last year, but it is just coming out.

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4. Lavender is in flower – the bees don’t seem to have found it yet.

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5. The bees are preferring the sage flowers in the greenhouse.

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6. And finally for this weeks six, some Aquilegia flowers.

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Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six On Saturday.

Six on Saturday

Work has been busy, so garden jobs are mounting up, but thankfully many things just go on doing their thing, without my help.

So here are this week’s Six on saturday.

Lupins

I love many of the old cottage garden flowers and have lupins in blue, pink and purple. Always popular with bumblebees.

Geranium

This lovely small purple Geranium was given to me by a friend.  It isn’t in the best place,  hidden behind some sage plants,  so need to either propagate more plants or move.

Lavender

All herbs are good pollinator plants and this lavender doesn’t appear to get as leggy as other varieties.

Aquilegia

The blue ones seem to have gone over very quickly, but this one is still giving a good display. Single flower varieties will be used by bumblebees.

Guem

Always ready to add a dash of colour.

Bugle, Ajuga

The native bugle is a great little bee plant. This cultivated form has lovely dark crimson leaves and it readily spreads if you let it.

 

Thanks to The Propagator for hosting