With many of our gardens showing signs of spring, lots of us will be keen to get outside and begin clearing our borders and pruning back those wayward shrubs.Continue reading
Beware of what lies beneath!
Tag: wildlife
Bee Hotel
Who needs to buy a bee hotel? This leafcutter bee was busy making a nest inside a recessed screw hole in my hosepipe reel.
Hedgehog Home
Hedgehogs are known as ‘the gardener’s friend’ as they eat slugs, beetles and caterpillars and do no damage to plants or crops. Continue reading
Squirrel
This little fellow was doing what squirrels do best, eating nuts!
Cobweb
A cold, foggy morning at this time of year is always exciting as there are so many cobwebs in the garden which get covered in water droplets, making them look like necklaces!
Spider’s Dinner
There are so many spiders around at this time of year. Found this one preparing his dinner.
Green Shield Bug
A juvenile Green Shield bug which was residing in an allium seed head.
Crab Spider
Found this interesting creature on a flower I was pruning in the garden. You can see where it gets its name, from the way it holds its front legs and the way it scuttles about. Apparently it doesn’t build a web, but relies on camouflage to catch its prey.
Frog or Prince?
Our garden has extremely heavy, clay soil – the sort you could make pottery from if you were so inclined. Generally it is either too wet or rock solid and I have to wait for a gardening window when digging over the soil or planting anything. I have added loads of home-made compost and grit over the years, which has improved some areas. However, the most important lesson I have learned is to grow plants that are tough and don’t require too much fussing over once established.
Tonight it was so dry that I just had to water the vegetables and annuals. Our neighbour has a pond, but I swear the frogs spend more time in our garden than in the pond. This little chap was sitting under some foliage trying to look cool!
Rosemary Beetle
This pretty little beetle is only about 6mm long, with an iridescent body which looks as though it’s been carefully embossed. I found this one on the rosemary bush in my garden, but they also like to eat the leaves and flowers of lavender, sage and thyme. I tolerate this beetle chewing the leaves of the rosemary, but if it becomes a problem then then environmentally friendly way to get rid of them is to pick them off and squash them!
