In the garden – June #1

Its been a busy month, for work and for nature. With all the sun and now a good bit of rain, its bulked everything up. New flowers are starting to open, with the yellows looking to be making way for the reds, pinks and purples.

The fuchsia has come back again, funny really, I tried 3 times to grow a fuchsia, bought already flowering and everything. They always died. This one was just a stick that had been left when we moved in, not even planted, just on the ground. I didn’t know what it was but could still see green under the bark so put it in dirt. Within a few weeks, it had leaves…

The potatoes have started flowering too, they have such pretty flowers. Potatoes are just great, the Bush crickets and snails are eating the leaves as quickly as they can but can’t keep up! Its providing great shade and bushiness for the bed too. I often see the sparrows having a little hop around in there looking for food.

I have white and red carnations this year, I don’t remember planting two colours so its good to see what appears to be new. A lovely dash of colour.

Another pink strawberry flower was poking through, its overshadowed by other strawberries, the loganberries and the fuchsia, so I’m impressed its made it at all.

The nasturtiums have just started to come out as well, its been a bit quiet for butterflies this year so far, but usually these bring the large and small white butterflies in.

The hydrangea is trying, its bee moved this year and surrounded by poppies which have now been and gone so ill clear some room and maybe it will do a bit better.

Its all pink and purple poppies this year, I thought I had planted some red ones but seems not. Either way, its a superb splash of colour and the bumble Bees love them.

(c) K Wicks

Willowherb

I decided to let everything just grow this year and be very minimal with weeding. Nature needs all the help it can get. It’s also making me more interested in what everything is and I’m learning about each plant as it grows and flowers. Willowherb seems to cater for many insects and has super pretty little pink/purple flowers. Also the leafcutter bees have favoured this plant for cutting small holes in the leaves – making me think that’s the reason I haven’t seen a leafcutter bee before, because I kept getting rid of their favourite plant!

(c) K Wicks

Leafcutter bee

Another first and a very exciting one. I had just found my pink strawberry plant was flowering, hidden among other strawberries and the loganberries. With a fuchsia plant and wildflowers too. As I was trying to get enough sunlight in for a shot, a bee came and landed on the willowherb, cut a section of leaf and left again. I was really surprised. I waited and it came back, took another section and left again, disappearing into the budleia and loganberry bush.

It took a few seconds and once it left again I could see that bee had been a bee had visited a number of times. I haven’t ever noticed holes like that before and realise I have previously pulled these up as weeds before they got to be this pretty and useful! Letting everything grow this year has made a big difference.

(c) K Wicks