More of "This and That"

Just a few photos from the house and garden this week as I haven't been out again. This week has been hot and humid with thunderstorms and rain although the garden and countryside desperately needed rain so I can't complain.



Another shrub I can't name but at this time of year it is covered in pretty yellow flowers.
Edit Thanks to Rustic Pumpkin who has advised this is Rose of Sharon or Hypericum calycinum

Antirrhimum has self seeded in one of the hanging baskets which haven't been replanted this year - no plants and little compost left!

The lovely "Gatekeeper" statue I bought last year from the National Herb Centre.

The first Large Skipper (a female) was spotted in the garden last week.

I think this may be a species of Orb web spider (Cucumber Green?) but my spider id skills aren't good so if anyone can help would love to hear from you.

I haven't put the moth trap out but I did find this moth on the garage window - Common Emerald I think?

Edit Thanks to Edward Evans for confirming id of moth - Common Emerald

Wall Pennywort seeds have been transplanted into bigger pots.

Some of the more "leggy" ones I decided to plant near the top of one of the stone walls. Sadly, it was a bit of a rush job as I disturbed a nest of red ants and beat a hasty retreat. But hopefully one or two will survive.

One of the stone walls where I am hoping to establish Wall Pennywort.

Little swedes are starting to form on these plants.

Cat's Ear - this was the "no mow zone" but we have had to temporarily abandon the idea as bamboo seedlings were spreading all over it (rather than wild flowers) from a nearby bamboo plant.

Clover

It always seems to rain as the poppy buds are about to open :(

Recent Reading

I really enjoyed this book and the ending was a complete surprise to me!!!

Journal

Baking

More baking from Mary Berry's "Fast Cakes"

Lemon Shortbread made by E - most had been eaten when I took this photo!

Mild Ginger loaf which I made yesterday. It has a good ginger flavour but it is a bit dry!

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.




All photos taken by me with the Pansonic Lumix FZ330 camera

More of "This and That" !!!

Another post about reading, baking and garden wildlife etc!


Recent Reading


This book has been in the "To Be Read Pile" for ages. To be honest I thought it was about geology whereas it is more about the geography of the British Isles but I did enjoy it and there is a fun quiz to do at the end.

Treated myself to this for the Kindle and loved it. This series has just got better and better although there is a bit of a gap in years between the last book and this one.

Garden Wildlife and Flowers


Perennial Cornflower

Two varieties of Cranesbill Geranium are now flowering. The first blue one is much loved by bees and the second one flowers all summer. In fact, I might try deadheading the blue one once the flowers have finished in the hope it will flower some more.

London Pride

Lily of the Valley - sorry rubbish photo but that border is overgrown with brambles and I couldn't get any closer

Lilac

More and more Red Campion flowers are appearing in the border where it has self-seeded.

Rhododendron - we just have the one. I must admit I am not overkeen on them but the flowers are pretty and the bees seem to enjoy them.

Rowan is in flower

Aquilegias/Columbine/Granny's Bonnet have self seeded in the front garden.

Blossom in the wooded area - I can't get close enough to id as the path into the "wood" is covered in brambles and nettles at the moment!

Whitebeam in flower

Ribwort Plantain

Tellima grandiflora or Fringe Cups. Sorry Dean I had forgotten we had this in the garden when I saw your photo. I spotted this at Brueton Park on a public footpath some years ago and someone very kindly identified it for me and even gave me a plant. So thank you Tony if you ever visit the blog.

Climbing Hydrangea coming into flower on the patio - E thinks robins are nesting there.

Valerian

Holly Berries!

Star of Bethlehem

The kettle you can see in the arch was once used by robins as a nesting site. In those days the arch was completely covered in "Mile a Minute". To be honest I rather liked it but B thought it had got out of control and replaced it with a clematis which is only just starting to grow!

I put out the moth trap on Thursday evening - min temp 11.1 but there was a Full Moon and no moths were caught just a Caddis Fly.

New species for the garden include - Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata), Tree and Early Bumble Bees and Leaf Cutter Bee.


There are 8 Blue Tit eggs and the female is still incubating - they may hatch in a week or so. Fingers crossed!






One lone Nasturtium seedling

and Sweet Pea seedlings are appearing.

No sign of the sunflowers or wall pennywort germinating and sadly we lost all the rose cuttings we took from my mum's garden last autumn even though a couple did have shoots. Perhaps we should have put them outside rather than in the porch. B has kept one that looked more alive than the rest so one can but hope.


Cooking

Mushroom Curry for tea and

E made some Chewy Almond Flapjacks from Mary Berry's Fast Cakes book

Thanks again to Sarah - the flour has arrived from Shipton Mill.



Knitting

I've been knitting a little owl and finally finished sewing it up yesterday.

Rainbow last night

A few more pages from the little journal. Warning if you don't like spiders don't go past the first two photos or look at the last photo in the blog post.

I found this spider in the moth trap when I was putting it back together - I think it may be Steatoda bipunctuata sometimes called The Rabbit Hutch Spider - common in animal pens, sheds and garages. There were some cocoony type things nearby (eggs or young??) so I put the spider and the cocoons together near the greenhouse.

I hope everyone is coping with the "stay at home" rule and you are all safe and well. Take care everyone.



All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera