June garden update – flowers

Bees, as many of you know, are one of my favourite garden visitors, so providing them with food is important to me. Bumbles are currently busy feeding on comfrey, sage, lupins, foxgloves and delphiniums. The early bumblebees seem to really like the comfrey, while the carder bees are concentrating on the sage. While tailed bees I have seen on buttercup and lupin, while the big garden bumblebee queens that are still around are going for the foxgloves as well as comfrey. It just shows that having a variety of flowers in your garden is important if you want your help a range of bees.

White tailed bumble on lupin

Heritage rose

LupinsRA

Delphinium

Foxglove – is this normal for a culitvate foxglove?

One lovely new sighting for the garden was a humming bird hawk moth, feeding on sage flowers. This is an amazing day flying moth that looks, and acts like a humming bird. We hadn’t seen one since the time we lived in the UK, so great addition to our garden list. if you want to see what it looks out check out this link.

Humming bird hawk moth – in a blur!

Vegetable garden update to follow soon.

Gates

There is something about gates that I like, particularly the old iron ones you sometimes come across, on the back roads around the west of Ireland.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Inspired by this week’s One a Week Challenge – Gate

Card

As children we were always encouraged to make our own cards for sending at Christmas and for birthdays. I have followed the tradition and encourage my own children to do the same. Here are two recent cards they have made. There is something special about getting a handmade card.

Birthday card drawn by my daughter

Christmas card drawn by my son

My contribution to the One a Week Photo Challenge “CARD”