So now I'm super far behind on this! This'll just be a quick [ish] catch up from things that happened in June, mostly because its more photos than anything else, but also some really cool things happened...
As far as I can remember [it's been one of those years] June was a pretty unpleasant month weatherwise, aside from the first weekend - which I'd prebooked for sunny weather for our annual summer garden party all the way back in January. The "is it going to stay dry?" turned into "can we stay cool?" almost overnight!
The first week in June is when the garden is at its 'tidiest', as I attempt to fill in trip hazards, strim the grass down to a height which is appropriate for sitting on [in?] and generally try to tidy the wildlife away to the perimeters so other people can use the garden. [The rest of the year is pretty much hit or miss].
The rest of the garden is also looking at its best during this time of year, especially after all the rain...Errol is barely visible in the side jungle, the ferns have properly flourished this year and the Fatsia Japonica has grown a new higher canopy layer [should be a really good wind-break soon].
There's wildflowers coming up in the front garden, although less than last year [which is surprising considering how much seed I put down]. There has been a lot of very drying wind, drying the soil and battering the plants so nothing has been looking super good this year [aside from the 101 ox-eye daisies]. Some interesting new species this year [above]: sweet william, meadow vetchling, melliot [not pictured], red clover, bellflower, and the pinkish white dog-rose from the new hedge. The red rose is a personal achievement [of being able to keep it alive], a lovely birthday present from a wonderful friend a few years ago.
We've been getting numerous cinnabar moths all around the garden, hoping for caterpillars [but not seen any yet]. Seen below on elderflowers, ragwort leaves and [bizarely] the bottom of the french windows.
Speaking of elderflower - M decided to take up the mantle of making the elderflowe champange this year. While it is [ultimately] a delicious drink, conjuring up memories of long warm evenings of summers past - it's lacking the explosive nature of last year's batch.
There's been a very noticeable absence of insects this summer. True there are bees aplenty [bumbles and honey] who are drawn like magnets to the red and white clover in the back lawn; but there's a distinct lack of butterflies.
One morning, I was opening up the compost bin lid [to put some elderly tomatoes inside] there was the most frantic humming sound coming from within. Upon opening the lid, several bumblebees hovered around the opening. Assuming they'd somehow become stuck inside, I went and grabbed a stick to assist them. They were not super keen on this but obliged. I spun the compost bin [its a rotatory-thing, like some-sort of compost tombola] and left them to it. A few days later, I witnessed a bee fly up into the compost bin through one of drainage holes. Upon opening the lid this time, several other bees flew out and there was the most amazing humming sound coming from within.
Long story short, we had bees in the compost. In all likelihood they were probably attracted to the sheepswool that I'd pushed in during the winter [in an attempt to keep the place warm], and the fact its in a nice south-facing position, with both drainage and entrance holes - heck I should have just listed it on air bnb. [Another key consideration is that I wasn't using or spinning it regularly]. So after a bit of bee species research I concluded they were probably either garden bees or white-tailed bees; as far as I could work out the only difference between the two was that one species would leave the nest in August and the other in September. So that was the compost bin decommissioned and the neighbours a bit edgy.
[A side note to mention just how perfect a fit the bees were for the drainage holes! My parents noted how they'd recently had a bee fly through a keyhole; with the same snugness of fit].
Bird-wise, there's been many high-jinks with four young magpie chicks which have descended on us. They get into everything and cackle madly whilst doing so.
Several of them have been watching the squirrels get nuts out the peanut feeder and have been attempting to gain access themselves...[there's now several pigeons who have also learned the knack]. I ordered another bag of hazelnuts [for the squirrels], but the magpies were quick to take advantage of the situation, even if they had absolutely no idea what to do with them...
...and they weren't the only ones...
Starlings still coming to the garden, particularly if I'd put live mealworms out, but fewer than in other years - hopefully they've just gone further down the street.
Other than that, its been mostly sparrows [and a rather adorable speckled baby Dunnock]. They've been taking advantage of the various water bowls for a quick dip, but also the drying soil in the flowerbeds - flurries of them will take extensive dust-baths, and its really difficult to count how many there are! Try for yourself: how many sparrows do you see in this photo?
Scroll down to see if you were right!
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