Showing posts with label critters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label critters. Show all posts

2016-05-27

Two days ago

This may be a Papaver pizzicato, but I won't know until it opens.

Bumblebee busy on chives

Waiting for Margaret merrill to open

Anyone any idea what's going on here? Three buds on the Lark ascending were
cut-off in this manner with the black sap coming out.
I Googled but haven't found anything like this...

2016-05-22

Yesterday's photos

A walk around the garden:

Immature apples

Bee in thyme

Ladybug on sage leaf

First time I find a buttercup in our grass,
love how glossy they are

The lilacs we planted last year have bloomed!
nicely scented

A bee visiting the iris germanica

Snail on broom

Margaret Merrill bud

Elderflower

Love-in-a-mist!

Willow sprouting back!

Stages of hawthorn blossoms

The fern corner is slowly filling up :)

These are the original ferns, which are very elegant

2016-05-06

Garden center

Yesterday we went to a garden center in Halle (ecoflora) I wanted to see which herbs they had, since the selection locally is a bit poor. Came back with a good bunch and three new ferns. We also went to the Hallerbos which I had never visited. The bluebells were still going strong. I may post some of those pictures separately.

I'm now transplanting. The ferns are in place and a few others too, but for some I have to think were to put them...

One strawberry "Maestro", which went in the strawberry patch close to the pallet. They had many types, I got this one because it said it was fragrant.

The ferns:


I got this photo for reference since I didn't leave the labels (and removed the buckler fern label which was still there since I planted it). So I got Asplenium trichomanes (15cm) Polypodium vulgare (70 cm) and Osmunda regalis (180cm!). I put 1 and 2 with the other ferns, the largest on the spot where one died (not winterhard I think) and the other towards the front since it's small. I was really hesitating where to put the royal fern. It gets large and needs perhaps a bit more light. I finally planted it before the hawthorn, not too close to it. I will keep an eye on it and see if it needs to be moved.


I was also hesitating where to put this mint. It will perhaps not be as invasive as regular mint (and I have a clump in the middle of my largest patch...) but I wanted to put it elsewhere. And it is dark so I wanted a half-shaded position. I dug a hole close to the rose/snowdrops, removed the grass, planted and refilled with soil. This one is Mentha citrata 'bergamotte'. Smells pretty particular. 70cm.

I also planted a Tanacetum balsamita (yay!!) close to the thymes. 80cm.


More later. I had to come indoors because the sun was merciless.

Meanwhile, a few ladybug photos I found in my phone, from a while back (22 april). There's less around the pallet now, perhaps it is now warm enough and they've spread through the garden. I see them less often but in more places.




2016-05-01

Fig and other stuff

This one's from last weekend, we got hail:



This is a couple of days ago:

It froze at night. I put a fleece over the apple blossoms as a precaution.

And then I found this large bulb in the basket. Oops.
Peruvian daffodil. Been there for nearly two weeks.
Large! I planted it near the hyacinths.

All of these which follow I took today. It was a sunny day and all creatures were lazily sunning themselves.


Well, some were busy with lovemaking! video here.

Eyes!




Redcurrant


Hyacinths

Apple blossoms

Fig leaves

Peony

Wild strawberries

I planted some pole beans around these branches.
We'll see.

We dug out the fig again, the roots were still holding up nicely as they were in the pot. Pim dug a hole (about 60 cm cube, bit wider), we poured rubble (we got plenty) on the bottom, I lined the walls with recycled bricks (also got many), we then planted it back in.




This pallet has been a huge hit with the insects. I've never seen so many ladybugs together.
They are always crawling around it, sunning themselves, sheltering in the crannies.
Many other bugs are also always crawling around, lots of spiders!

2016-04-10

Fig

We had two figs in pots, they overwintered indoors.
We decided to plant the smallest one (Ficus carica Brown Turkey) outdoors
It seems quite protected in this location, between
the apple closest to the house and the peony.


Loki found the perfect spot for a nap


In one large pallet we left over the grass all winter it seems ladybugs have been overwinteringand now are waking up. They're crawling all over and mating and reproducing, and they're welcome!