The Garden Community for Garden Lovers

"Spring Was Sprung Then Summer Sprung A Leak"

8 comments


Blooming Rain, pity we were not grazers as there’s plenty of fresh cut grass on offer……………….
The slightest chance and my wife is out dead heading though the flowers give the image of a well watered down watercolour, looking as if they have been overfed promoting a greater ratio of greenery. I have tried a light liquid tomato feed to see if this will rectify the problem.._
18/07/2012- 02.56 hrs I have just seen the weather and the predicted jet stream for the weekend will be running up to the North West and skirting the top of the UK. This should hopefully bring up the warm weather. Bets on how long before the next hosepipe ban


I just found this scarlet lily beetle having a good munch on a lily leaf. I remember being asked to report sightings of this beetle as it’s been spreading all over Europe . Had to give an exact grid reference of where seen.

The beetles had even spread to this lily plant in the front garden. I found a now diseased mating pair of the beetle. I checked under leaf and there was like drops of soft dark insect faeces. I found the scarlet beetles in larvae form happily eating away at the lily leaves under this squidgy faeces. I don’t like using chemicals as I have both a toad and a slow worm in my gardens

This dahlia bloom like others in my garden have so many earwigs eating them


I watched as this bee seem to lay as flat as possible against the fence then seem to go into a stupor, do bees have cleaning stations? Often I use to come across those big bumble bees infested with little parasites, covered with so many they were unable to take off and keep airborne.


_ Looking fresh after a short sharp shower_

A bizzy lizzy filled flower pouch

A spider blends into the flower background waiting for dinner to call

Nature’s colours are so beautiful._


Squirrel pondering on “Which fork do I take?”


“C’mon! get them feet up”……………….


Putting weight on for my cooking pot. Does seem fare as he is one of the main contenders of being first in the meal queue and still there for seconds


This female and her mate had their first clutch very early in the year and when we had a return to the cold weather I did put out mealworms on a daily basis making sure their was sufficient food for any takers. A possibility that this could be a third brood.

A Nuthatch

One lonesome dove

Chaffinch on a fence.

More green than flower


Begonia pokes through.

Seen better hair days.

This plant looks so fragile.


My predicament; do I leave the aphids for the ants to milk. I spotted the resident slow worm sunning in some rare sunshine and it did have it’s eye on the ants at the base of the host dahlia.


Want a bite.


Four legged pigeon??, so many wood pigeons about surely they and the squirrels could be a good base source of a low cholesterol meal. Reminiscing back a few years (early 50s), can any of you remember when myxomatosis was introduced in the UK to try and control the wild rabbit population boom. Took no prisoners and even killed my pet rabbit. Just wondered if the government will ever try something like this to eradicate all of the grey squirrels. The myxomatosis never worked on wiping out all wild rabbits as there are over 40 million in the UK now, another source of good meat without the need to import Chinese rabbits._
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Here’s to a an improvement in all our weather patterns.

More blog posts by tommyshortlegs

Previous post: "Looking Out From Within"

Next post: "DID SUMMER ARRIVE?



Comments

 

Wow Tommy, you're on top form with this blog - excellent!

18 Jul, 2012

 

Thank you Sheila you are a good mate, much appreciated .

18 Jul, 2012

 

Fantastic as ever you are on top form Mr Tom wonderful blog.

19 Jul, 2012

 

A wonderful blog Tommy, I agree with you about the chemicals, but sometimes it's hard to find a cure for some things. I am plagued by black-fly for example so any 'friendly' cures would be appreciated..too many for the ants to cope with.
I love the wildlife in your garden..I too get pigeons, all kinds. They do lots of damage and don't seem to be afraid of anything or anyone!
I'd love to encourage our local squirrel, any tips?
Hope yo're right about the better weather heading our way. Fingers crossed.
Keep up the good work on the garden and the blogs.:)

19 Jul, 2012

 

wow, its so beautiful and perfectly captured:-))))

19 Jul, 2012

 

I also have blackfly on my dahlias, because of my fishpond and the pets I am always wary about spraying but I have succumbed to the washing up water in a spray for the ones not near the pond, trouble is the rain keeps washing it off so its a bit of a losing battle..
Another very entertaining blog Tommy, just the job for a long coffee break, taken inside yet again as its constant drizzle today, very warm though....

19 Jul, 2012

 

Nice pics - I know exactly what you mean with your comment 'more green than flowers' - my pelargoniums are huge, with massive leaves, and have so far only produced 2 flowers on each plant. I'm noticing an awful lot of gulls about at the moment - they're all squawking away as I type this...

19 Jul, 2012

 

That is a smashing blog Tommy....really enjoyed it, thank you :)

19 Jul, 2012

Add a comment

Recent posts by tommyshortlegs

Members who like this blog

  • Gardening with friends since
    10 Sep, 2010

  • Gardening with friends since
    17 Aug, 2011

  • Gardening with friends since
    6 Jun, 2010

  • Gardening with friends since
    22 Jun, 2011

  • Gardening with friends since
    30 Dec, 2011

  • Gardening with friends since
    22 Oct, 2008

  • Gardening with friends since
    9 May, 2011

  • Gardening with friends since
    9 Mar, 2012