Recent Reading
I always enjoy nature writing by Paul Evans (he also writes in the Guardian's Country Diary) and this collection of essays on Britain's natural history did not disappoint - the Bestiary at the end of the book is particularly good. The title is the same as a 1940 Batsford Book but Paul Evans' book is nature writing for the 21st century.
I bought this kindle book as we are going to Anglesey for our main summer holiday and, although I visited twice as a child with my parents and also went on a residential Geography "A" level field trip there, my memories are a trifle hazy! The book is written with passion by the author who lives on the island and is entertaining and humorous. The only downside is that the book could do with some editing as the section on beaches has an awful lot of repetition in the text. Nevertheless it has given me some wonderful ideas of places to visit and I certainly feel as if I know a lot more about Anglesey than before I started to read it.
The George and Molly Palmer-Jones books improve as the series progresses and I really enjoyed this one.
The Stephens and Mephisto books in the Brighton Mysteries series just keep getting better and better. I loved this book.
I haven't read a Mary Webb novel for years - Mary Webb was a novelist from the early twentieth century and this book is set in the wild landscape of Shropshire at the beginning of the 19th century. It is a beautiful, poignant and moving tale with beautiful descriptions of the landscape. The book tells the sad tale of Gideon Sarn who is obsessed with gaining wealth as seen through the eyes of his sister Prudence Sarn who was born with a hare lip which, in those unenlightened times, was often regarded as a sign of witchcraft. It is also the story of the love developing between Prudence and the weaver Kester Woodseaves.
Thankfully I still have quite a few books in the Maisie Dobbs series to read - I really do like this series as Maisie is such an endearing character.
Garden Update
Primroses have now finished flowering but
Lungwort is still flowering profusely.
Green Alkanet which appeared out of the blue in the garden is spreading nicely :)
Bluebells are flowering - we seem to have a mix of the dreaded Spanish Bluebell (which were established when we bought the house a long time ago), the native Bluebell and hybrids between the two.
Wood anemones are slowly spreading and
Wood Sorrel (another plant which appeared mysteriously in the garden) is still thriving.
Dandelions are left in peace to flower as they are so good for pollinators.
Camellia attract many insects too - here another hoverfly.
Rosemary in flower
Foget-me-nots and
Flowering currant are also in flower.
There are lots and lots of Yellow Rattle appearing in the mini wildflower meadow although couch grass is still flourishing and
in a border B cleared of brambles to put up some new fencing red campion have seeded.
We've had five species of Butterfly in the garden so far this year - Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Holly Blue, Peacock and this
Speckled Wood - not the best of photos I couldn't get close enough.- apologies I have a feeling I posted this picture earlier in the month.
We treated ourselves to a lean too greenhouse earlier in the year which is proving useful and we are hoping to grow tomatoes and perhaps peppers in there later in the year.
We decided earlier this year to replace the nestbox with camera as the camera in the old one was no longer working. A pair of Blue Tits have taken up residence and there are now at least five eggs - it is difficult to count them as she is not yet sitting on the eggs and in the daytime she covers them with grass, moss and feathers.
EDIT
Latest photo - there are six eggs and Mrs BT now seems to have started incubating.
Recently a Sparrowhawk came shooting down the garden towards the house chasing a Blackbird which it failed to catch. The Sparrowhawk ended up perched on the mini greenhouse on the patio looking most put out.
Finally, D has been on holiday and having a decluttering session in his room - he came across a kit to build a flowerpot man which he had had for years but never made. Now completed it sits in our porch. I think it is rather cute :)
*D Photo taken by D with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera
17 comments:
It's lovely to see your garden, the flowers and bird box, and that will provide much interest in coming weeks, I am certain. Oh, we sold those flowerpot men kits in the National Trust and we had to make one up as a demonstration. That was a hoot and I hope you had as much fun.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. Fingers crossed they manage to raise a brood to fledging. That is interesting it is that long ago can't remember where I bought it. Yes it was fun to put together although my son did most of it!
I loved Precious Bane too and I am a recent convert to Ann Cleeves and now can't get enough. I have read only one of the husband and wife team, one Peter Porteous and all of the Vera and Shetland series.
I will come back to see what else you wrote about - am in somewhat of a hurry right now!
Kudos to you for leaving the dandelions. As you say they are excellent for pollinators. I wonder how many people know that and whether it would change their attitude towards dandelions if they did. The degree of animosity some gardeners and lawns keepers have towards dandelions verges on pathological.
I do like the look of your lean-to growing house.
Great to see the eggs in the nest box. My BT has reached six eggs now.
Lovely little flowerpot man. I have dozens of unused pot. Must have a go a making something like that.
Love Mr Flower Pot man and great to see the 6 eggs of the BLue Tit It will be very intersting to watch how many fledge.
Lovely post. Great to have both wood anemone and wood sorrel in your garden. We seem to have three or four clumps of self seeded bluebells out now around the garden and they all look different colours of blue and sizes of flower. Orange tip, holly blue, peacock and what we thought was a wood brown but not sure in the garden last weekend in the warm weather. The peacock was the only one that settled long enough to take a photo. We love Anglesey, will you visit South Stack? The windmill and bronze age round houses are interesting too plus the stone centre if it is still going. The art gallery at Llangefni is wonderful too:)
Toffeeapple - Thank you - good to hear you are enjoying Ann Cleeves - I loved the Shetland and Vera books. Found the first George and Molly a bit tedious but the series does improve. Will check out Peter Porteous - not read any of that series.
If you come back and see this reply could I please ask you a favour - feel so guilty about not commenting on Dean's posts on Facebook. I was going to join myself but suddenly obstacles re: my mum's estate have been removed hopefully and I am having to do a lot at her house to get it cleared and cleaned and on the market so not had that much time. So please let Dean know I will join when things have gone a bit quieter and apologise to him.
David M Gascoigne - Thank you - I think dandelions are rather lovely flowers in their own right and they have so many benefits for insects.
Midmarsh John - Thank you - lean too greenhouse is on the patio so handy :) It wasn't cheap sadly and the wood has warped a bit. I think aluminium may be cheaper and weather better but I did like the look of the wood one. Glad to hear your BT also has 6 eggs. We once made a flowerpot man from used pots but leaving it in the garden it eventually weathered a bit too much but it is fun to make things especially if you have lots of pots about :)
Margaret Birding for Pleasure - Thank you - just hoping all manage to hatch and fledge this time round.
Rosie - Thank you. If I lived closer to you I try and swap some of the wood anemone and wood sorrel for some of your wild garlic :) You are getting similar butterfly species to us - they are very skittish though as you say and hard to get photos.
Hoping to go to South Stack although I won't be crossing that suspension bridge to the lighthouse! (heights!!! again). I've never been to a sea bird city so it is too good an opportunity to miss. We are stopping at Penmon so apart from South Stack and possibly Amlwch will probably spend most time around Beaumaris area. Hoping to go to Newborough Warren and also Plas Newydd. There seems to be a lot of prehistoric type burial chambers etc on the island so hopefully we will visit at least one and thanks re: the art gallery - am definitely hoping to go there as I think it has Tunnicliffe paintings?? Just hoping weather is dry! I always, perhaps wrongly, associate Wales with rain!!!!
I have been on the road a bit in the last few weeks, but am now at base and look forward to working (backwards!) over your posts in the next few days. Thank you for the tip-off about the first book, which looks inviting. What a beautiful greenhouse. My butterfly species count for the year so far is Peacock, Small Tortie, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Small White, Orange tip ... and plenty of Brimstones. I haven't (consciously) seen a Red Admiral yet, which seems strange. We were at Strumpshaw Fen and Ranworth Broad in Norfolk two weeks ago, but were too early for Swallowtails (I spent part of my childhood very close to Strumpshaw - we must go back!).
How exciting about Anglesey. I particularly love Holyhead Island and Penmon. And, yes, do visit the burial chambers, too...
Caroline Gill - Thank you and I hope you have had a good few weeks. I've seen Brimstones too on my travels but not one yet in the garden. I haven't spotted a Red Admiral either.
One of these days I will try and visit Strumpshaw Fen and Ranworth Broad to try and see Swallowtails as I have never seen one.
Penmon Priory and well are very close to where we are staying and I think you can take boat trips to Puffin Island from Beaumaris. I have to be careful though about research as otherwise family moan I am organising the whole holiday!! There certainly seems lots to do there :)
I seem to be falling behind in my reading at the moment, I never seem to have the time just to sit with a book, must try harder!! It's lovely to see all the flowers in your garden and good news with the Blue Tits but though I love to see a Sparrowhawk it's a worry at this time of year!
Pam - Thank you. I think being retired helps with finding time to read - I never read so much when working part time and when the kids were a lot younger. Squirrels have been all over nest box and Magpies and Carrion Crows nesting nearby are about as well as Sparrowhawk - nest box has got a metal plate around entrance hole but not sure if it would stop a Great Spotted Woodpecker which visits garden sometimes.
Your garden looks lovely. I like the mini greenhouse it looks neat. How lovely to able to watch the bluetits, eggs and chicks in the next box :-)
CherryPie - Thank you so much - it is lovely to be able to watch wildlife in the garden :)
Caroline, so that you know - I have copied and pasted your message to me, on Dean's Facebook page. I am sure he won't need the apology but I understand where you are coming from. He will, I am sure, be pleased to hear from you when you are able to respond.
And Dean's reply:
Hi Toffeeapple, that's kind of her to say that and of you for letting me know, thank you
Toffeeapple - Thanks so very much. I really appreciate you doing that and Dean's reply. MY OH is on facebook but I can't really like or leave comments as it is not my account! Hopefully in a couple of weeks I will have less to do re: the estate.
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