It a crazy time of year in the garden - what with the alternating periods of warmth and rain, it's always a struggle to keep up with the weeds, but it has meant that the garden has really burgeoned this summer.... And it's alive with bees, which is pleasing! At the moment they're particularly enjoying the ornamental thistle, Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum', the foxgloves and blue Salvia 'Mainacht'.
A little while ago I was showing a group around the garden, and talking about the benefits of planting caterpillar host plants. I raised my hand to point out the hollies in the woodland garden, which are one of the host plants for the Holly Blue butterfly, and what should appear? But a Holly Blue, intent on laying her eggs on the flowers! Imagine my delight...
The wildflower meadow is also coming into its own this summer - wonderful to see the bright yellow of the greater birdsfoot trefoil and the deep pink of the red clover beginning to elbow the meadow grasses aside! It's starting to form a lovely colourful tapestry - also humming with bumblebees.