Another week passes and to be honest, even though places are beginning to re-open if you book in advance, I still don't feel confident enough to go out and about so another post mainly about the garden.
A little vase of Mock Orange Flowers
Large Orange Lilies are starting to flower.
Verbena bonariensis
Another one of those shrubs we bought years ago which I cannot put a name to!
Birds-foot Trefoil flowering by the pond.
Corncockle in the wild flower area
Herb Robert and an unknown little pink flower with clover shaped leaves.
Edit Many thanks to Dean at "Punk Birder" the mystery plant is Pink Oxalis.
Wall Pennywort seems to be doing ok although, horrors of horrors, I went up to check the few planted by the stone wall this morning and the leaves have been nibbled which is not good news :(
D found a Devil's Coach Horse in the front garden.
Red Admiral
Ladybird larva
D found this wasp species in his bedroom last night. Thanks so much to Stewart from "Boulmer Birder" via Twitter who suggests it is a Digger wasp and possibly one of the Ectemnius species.
Reading
This Batsford book on hidden villages was very good.
I've been meaning to read Mrs Moreau's Warbler for ages and finally got round to it - it is excellent and very informative.
Baking
This is the "Fast Cakes" book by Mary Berry that my daughter and I are working our way through in a random fashion.
Fairings were made last week - too hot this week to bake!
It was B's birthday yesterday and this is his cake - A Thornton's Chocolate Cake which is melting in the heat!
Hopefully, we may be able to visit our caravan in Herefordshire on or after the 4th July following yet another easing of the lockdown restrictions. It would be good to be able to take all the items we have bought and as Rosie said "make it our own" as we haven't seen it since we bought it last October! I am not sure we will yet be doing many of the things we planned such as visiting places like Ludlow, Hereford and Cathedral, Croft Castle, Brockhampton, etc. etc. but the caravan site itself is lovely with a pool and hide and wildflower meadow so it will be a good place to relax and there are always country lanes to walk which I hope will be quieter than those round here!!
I hope everyone is staying safe and well.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera
How frustrating that something is eating the Pennywort after all your hard work and nurturing. Sending good vibes to protect them! Is the mystery pink flower of the Shamrock family, by any chance. Not naming names, but someone seems happy alongside the fairings! I have been baking up a storm too. All in the freezer, and Happy Birthday to B! Some cake!
ReplyDeleteRustic Pumpkin - Thank you. I wish now I hadn't watered them last night as perhaps the moisure encouraged slug/snail :( I will have to be careful where I put the rest and make sure they are a lot bigger! Will do some research into shamrock family - thank you. You know who did enjoy a few of those biscuits :) Thanks for birthday wishes for B - it is D's next week - who would have believed when E had her birthday in April we would still be in such a horrid situation :( Glad you have treats in your freezer :)
ReplyDeleteAnother informative post, as ever, RR: I realise that what I have been calling 'corncockle' seems to be 'corn marigold'! The fairings and Thornton choc. cake look delicious: I hope Timothy enjoyed the former. I'm glad you are enjoying 'Mrs Moreau's Warbler'. I find names so fascinating...
ReplyDeleteLovely flowers and the books look interesting too, especially the Hidden Villages one. The Corncockle and Bird's-foot Trefoil are lovely. I hope the Pennywort will be okay, red ants and now a 'nibbler' somewhere. The birthday cake looks tasty, it's Paul's birthday Sunday so I must make a cake normally we'd go out somehwere for a treat but not this year. I hope you can go to your caravan it sounds lovely with plenty to explore close by without visiting places that may be busy, take care:)
ReplyDeleteThere are safe to birds and animals Organic slug pellets about (look online?) I have a few left which I am putting to good use at the moment, though sadly ALL the lettuces (lettii?!) got slugged before I thought to put any around them.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking lovely and lots of visitors in the insect line.
I bet you can't wait to get to your caravan and do some new-to-you walks in Herefordshire. We look forward to being able to travel again . . .
Caroline Gill - Thank you :) I am always getting wild flower id wrong - still not 100% sure about the one I have called Bird's Foot Trefoil!! I think it was your past comment asking me if I had read Mrs Moreau's warbler that encouraged me to read it. Really fascinating book.
ReplyDeleteRosie - the Batsford book is good - has quite a lot of those iconic illustrations they are famous for. I really enjoyed it especially at the moment when we are not exploring villages in person! I hope Paul has a lovely birthday! :) Yes, we would normally have gone probably for a meal somewhere as it as had a barbecue! I'll be making Dorset Apple Cake for my son's birthday in just over a week as it is his favourite. I had to make it for his 30th in a holiday cottage on the IofW!! Take care too
Bovey Belle- Thank you. I will check out the organice pellets although I get fidgety about killing things even slugs and snails!! I did think of a beer trap but death by drowning didn't sound very pleasant either!!!
It will be nice to get away somewhere new even if we don't venture far in Herefordshire - will play it by ear! More than anything I just want to take all the stuff we bought which is cluttering up the hall and bedroom!
pleased you are well... so far the NT places I have visited have been really good. The limiting of numbers is working well.
ReplyDeleteThe Quacks of Life - Thanks so much Pete and yes I am fine :) Thanks for letting me know that NT limiting of numbers is working well :) Actually it did go through my mind that now may be a good time to visit to enjoy the places more with far less people milling around! :) Checked BC and Packwood - no vacancies on Thursday when I looked but I will keep checking!
ReplyDeleteHi Caroline, your mystery plant is Pink Oxalis.
ReplyDeleteYes I think although things are opening up, one should still be very cautious. These lunatics that crowd beaches adn other group events are going to cause us a spike and who knows if that happens it COULD be worse that this one. I do hope not. Lovely seeing all the plants in your garden. I do not know what I would have done without my garden during the past 3 months, I feel very sorry for people in flats etc. Thanks for the comments you leave. I appreciate every one. Stay safe and have a good week.
ReplyDeletePunk Birder - Thanks so much Dean. Your help is really appreciated. Hope you are ok and staying well.
ReplyDeleteMargaret Birding For Pleasure - Thank you Margaret and yes we are still being very cautious here. The scenes on the beaches were appalling and did you see how much litter the idiots left? :( I wouldn't go anywhere near a beach as busy as that in normal times let alone at the moment! I appreciate my garden especially at such a time. Stay safe to and enjoy your week. Hope your injury improves soon.
Lovely photos of your garden.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about going out and about. Thankfully my local walkways have become increasingly less quiet and just this week I have felt confident enough to walk along the pathways that I have been avoiding for weeks.