End of July Visit to Herefordshire - Part 1

 

We managed to go to Herefordshire last week for four nights. Thankfully, most of the plants seem to have survived although a few looked a bit sorry for themselves. Sadly, the new lavender bought earlier this year seems to be suffering now.

Timothy glad to be back.

No change in the Herefordshire Trees

Herefordshire Oak

Octopus Tree in the centre of the photo below

Constable Tree(s)

Something has been pecking at one of the bee hotels trying to pull the bamboo out. Someone at the site told us they had seen a magpie doing this in their bee hotel.

Since having a slight prune and a good water the rose in a pot is putting out lots of new growth and when we left it had 19 rose buds on it.

Succulents are doing well still

Mini alliums almost in flower

D's chilli plant has two chilli peppers forming and the tomato plant has flowers.

Rose and hydrangea in the garden.

Sadly the nasturtium has been decimated by black fly although another seed seems to have germinated.

We arrived on the Wednesday and did a food shop at  Tesco on the Thursday.  Friday we visited Berrington Hall and I will do a separate post on that.  Saturday we just stayed at the caravan trying to keep cool and Sunday we came home after watering the plants and doing some housework.

I was picking up bats on the bat detector again in the evening - they are now emerging around ten past ten in the evening.  We had lovely views of the nearly full moon. We didn't see any Red Kites this visit but did see several Buzzards and there was a family of Pied Wagtails on the grass by the caravan one day.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would appreciate an email first - thanks.

Big Butterfly Count and Garden Wildlife and Vegetables

 

Since 2010 Butterfly Conservation has organised a yearly nationwide survey where people can spend 15 minutes counting the number of butterflies they see in their garden or other location.  Butterflies are excellent biodiversity indicators and they react rapidly to environmental changes. Therefore declines in butterfly species can provide an early warning of potential losses in other species too.  Big Butterfly Count helps identify trends in species allowing plans to be made to protect those in decline and also to allow scientists to understand the effects of climate change.

I am sure some of you also take part and it is to be hoped that the results from this year's counts are a marked improvement on the awful year butterflies and other pollinators had last year.

D and I did our first butterfly count on the 21st July at Castle Bromwich Historic Parklands and saw the following butterflies:

Small White x 4

Speckled Wood x 5

Large White x 2

Holly Blue x 4

Gatekeeper x 6

plus an unidentified skipper (it was too far away to be sure)!

On 25th July we did a count in the garden at home and saw the following:

Large White x 4

Peacock x 1

Comma x 1

*D

Holly Blue x 1  (here nectaring on water mint flowers by the pond)

*D

Gatekeeper x 1

*D

*D

Speckled Wood x 3

*D

Meadow Brown x 1

*D

Not seen during the count itself here is a photo of a Red Admiral we saw a bit later.

*D

D did a further garden count earlier this week and managed to spot a Red Admiral during the 15 minutes this time.

Red Admiral x 1

Comma x 1

Speckled Wood x 1

Gatekeeper x 2

Large White x 1

Other Garden Insects

Banded Demoiselle - I was really chuffed this was spotted as I am fairly sure it is a new garden "tick"

*D

Grasshopper

Mint Moth - you guessed it seen on mint! Pretty as these tiny moths are last year the caterpillars decimated all our mint!

*D

Sunflower with a Marmalade Hoverfly

*D

Garden Vegetables and Baking

These days D grows all the garden vegetables.

Here are the first red chilli peppers.

*D

We are picking courgettes galore

*D

Ripening pumpkin

*D

The first crop of beetroot has been harvested.

*D

Apple and Blackberry Crumble made with foraged blackberries from the garden.

*D

D made these Feta, Thyme and Courgette Scones with courgettes and thyme from the garden. Lovely served with onion chutney :)

*D

All photos taken by D with the Canon SX50 HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of my son's or mine I would be grateful for an email first - thanks)

Mid July Visit to Herefordshire - Hatfield

In mid July we returned to the caravan for 3 nights with E who was on holiday from work.

There was no change in the Herefordshire Trees from the week before as you can see!

Herefordshire Oak 

Octopus Tree

Constable Tree(s)

D's sunflowers have two flowers.

I am really pleased with the rose in a pot that we bought last autumn - it is just full of flowers.

D's chilli pepper plant has chillis forming (at least 3).

D spotted this local "Dragon Tree" plant in a local Morrisons store at home. I know it is not a "Dragon Tree" although it is similar to a Dragon Tree house plant D has but I can't remember the actual name.  D wanted to buy it for the caravan but both of us had forgotten our debit cards!  Fortunately when we were at Morrisons in Leominster they were selling them too. It has been planted in a pot that contained a bay tree that had sadly died over the winter.

Hollyhocks still flowering and blackberries are starting to ripen.

 

Timothy back on his shelf feeling rather relieved I had left Spotty Dotty man in my bag :)

We found a Great Spotted Woodpecker's feather lying on the grass near the feeders where they regularly come for food. I've put it in the "Finds" Box which you can see next to Timothy in the photo above.

Apart from the click and collect as usual at Morrisons Leominster we didn't leave the caravan site. Partly because it was hot but mainly because E was suffering from an ear infection and was in a lot of pain. Before we went away her GP had given her an antibiotic spray which sadly didn't work so now she is on oral antibiotics.

I think sadly it will be a few weeks before we can return as we have a car service and mot arranged plus a home gas boiler service and B has some medical appointments. Plus we need to buy a new cooker and will have to be at home for the delivery and fitting.  I will have to try not to worry about the plants if there is no rain unless we squeeze in a quick visit just to water the garden and stay for a night or two.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Big Butterfly Count

 

I am sure many of you take part in the Summer Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count.  I usually try and do 4 or 5 each year in the garden.  I did try once to do one at Packwood but there were that many "white" butterflies about I lost count.

I've done two so far this year and with the weather the way it is I suspect I won't do anymore this summer.

The first was on the 25th July and I saw the following

Large White x 2

Gatekeeper x 1

Speckled Wood x 1

Red Admiral x 1

Comma x 1

The second I did on 29th July and spotted

Red Admiral x 1

Comma x 1

Small White x 2

You might know just after I'd started the sun went behind the clouds!

I might try and do one at the caravan if we visit while the count is still running. Edit Just realised it finishes this weekend so that won't be possible :(

The last few strawberries picked from the garden.

We have a lot of Cat's Ear plants on the first lawn.

We have quite a few scabious in the mini wild flower "meadow" - worryingly though I haven't seen any Knapweed this year or many Wild Carrots and usually we get loads.

Cut and Come Again Lettuce

Potatoes are growing well after being "earthed up".  David has grown the vegetables this year like last year as to be honest B has completely lost interest in the garden due to what is happening next door and the fact that we shall have to move. 

While looking for some sort of box to send D's laptop back for repair I found a storage box under the bed full of Teddies including my Aston Villa bear!

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks)