Gardening with Nature on the Edge of the Atlantic

Category: Butterflies

  • Food for the Winter

    The rosehips have been providing dramatic colour against rare blue skies. The driveway has one long bed of roses and it is the one area of the garden where I seem to have provided enough fruit both for myself and for the birds. I have made enough syrup to last me through the winter, although…

  • Proof – If Proof Were Needed

    I am becoming obsessed with the snails’ behaviour on my Hosta and started a small experiment earlier this summer. This is the result – the plant on the right lives in a pot outside the house where the snails have to traverse a gravel driveway and cement to get to their target. Child’s play apparently.…

  • Horsefly Heaven, Human Hell

    The moment I arrived at my new home over thirteen years ago, I was able to identify one of the few perfect spots for a small garden. It is triangular in shape and sits in a hollow at the bottom of the drive, so it was possible to make it almost totally windproof in a…

  • As Summer Ends

    I think that this has probably been the best year for butterflies since I first moved here over thirteen years ago. All the usual favourites such as the Red Admiral, Peacock Butterfly, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood are in abundance in the flower garden and copse, but there have also been many more…

  • All Creatures

    I have always kept some ragwort in the garden since I first found the caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth and realised that I had a treasure trove on my hands. A few winters ago, I used up the last of a stack of wood in my woodpile and inadvertently uncovered dozens of moths who I…

  • Daily Gifts

    Despite another cold spell, the garden is full of surprises. After over eight years the Eleagnus shrubs have started producing fruit. This one is covered in thousands of fruits in every stage of development. It is interesting that almost all are growing on the side of the plant facing north where there is some protection…

  • A Benign But Dry September

    The nights are drawing in, but it is the changes in the wildlife that to me are the signal that winter is on the way. The goldfinches have started to return to the garden and I do hope that I have as large a flock as last year. The slugs are less evident although by…

  • The End of a Long Hot Summer

    7 September 2022 You can tell that autumn is here as my dogs have recovered from their summer lethargy and are frantically tying to destroy my garden in search of mice and voles. Dry stone walls like the one above, large trees and favourite shrubs are all fair game and the three dogs have the…

  • New Beginnings

    I have a love-hate relationship with the Inula Hookeri which dominates whatever part of the garden it inhabits. Its flower is interesting from the moment it appears, but it spreads rapidly and will quickly push out anything growing near it. Each winter I have the arduous task of containing it, muttering under my breath as…

  • Stink Bugs and Other Delicacies

    October 2021 Irish shield bugs are ‘potential’ stink bugs, as they secrete a horrible smell when handled. Apparently, they can also bite. In my experience the smell may be bad, but the taste is foul even when mixed with raspberries. I have been enjoying the latter on a daily visit to the fruit garden and…