Pale calendula

This little beauty has appeared, I’m suprised at how many flowers there still are or this time of year. Its a bit blustery today, but I’ll try and grab a few pics tomorrow to brighten up the timelines a bit. If not, I have plenty from the summer to bring out 🙂

(c) K Wicks

Buddleia, bees and butterflies

It has taken a while, but finally the buddleia bush is blooming. Not so much on the purple this year, the white has decided to shine through on this tri coloured variety. Although up until now, it’s only been purple last year, purple and white this year, so not sure where the third colour has gone. The birds kept nipping off the little buds when they appeared in spring, so maybe that did something to affect it. But since it has gone for it, and the weather has warmed again, it has been inundated with bees and butterflies. Red admirals, honey bees, tortoiseshells and bumble bees. Also had a small white yesterday as well. I have finally got the right flowers!

(c) K Wicks

Frogbit

The small pond has a flower! I thought something had fallen in, but it was a small white flower. I haven’t really taken many pictures of the pond yet as it really is very small, above ground and not as easy to photograph as I would like. This however, was a real treat to see as I wasn’t sure any of the small pond plants I bought would make it. After I dealt with the mosquito takeover it seemed ok.

(c) K Wicks

Bombus hortorum bee

Some of the new flowers I bought earlier in the year that survived the postage, the wildlife and the weather are now in full bloom and are bringing many bees in. I didn’t know they would be so bee friendly, but it’s a nice suprise. This visitor went through every flower on the salvia ‘hot lips’ one. It was quite a task to get some shots in while it was doing it’s thing, bit I got a couple of awesome ones. In the third picture you can really appreciate how long their tongues are to be able to get to the nectar with such long petals in the way.

(c) K Wicks