Gardening with Nature on the Edge of the Atlantic

Tag: hydrangea

  • The Last Days of the Supermoon

    I am rather pleased with this dramatic effect which happened when I tried combining the last dog walk of the evening with a photograph of the moon. Who knew that a torch could be so effective. When I first read an article by Mick Kelly the founder of ‘Grow it Yourself’ about growing garlic I…

  • 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…

  • A Feast or a Famine

    The short Indian summer has been perfect for sea swimming and in recent weeks the water has been at its warmest this summer. However, the garden has not done so well and it looks dry and dull before its time. I have little hope of stunning autumn colours as many of the leaves are have…

  • A Feeding Frenzy

    The silage was cut a few days ago and afterwards I had a very enjoyable evening watching the local foxes clearing the field. They obviously know the sound of the machines, as this individual was scavenging within minutes of their arrival. I am hoping to see some of the newly-born foxes at the autumn harvest.…

  • An Indian Summer

    This second flowering of Geum has produced a dramatic background for a mature Green Shieldbug. I don’t imagine that this is the safest place to be if you need to be inconspicuous, but it makes a lovely picture. This has been a bumper year for Puffballs and Earthballs and they have expanded their territory to…

  • The Little Picture

    This Vapourer moth caterpillar has picked the perfect background to show off its dramatic coat – you could hardly call it a disguise! It always amazes me that I can find just one of these creatures a year when there must be many more around for the species to survive. This one was on 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…

  • Summer Colour

    This pink Leptospermum scoparium ‘Martini’ was a new addition to the garden last year. It tends to be delicate and I had no hope that it would survive the cold winter. It is past its best in this photograph, but to my surprise it is thriving. If it is like its relatives in the garden…

  • Salt is Not Always Savoury

    I am usually very alert to any weather ‘events’ in the garden, but seem to have missed a recent dry wind from the south with its usual unwelcome gift of salt. The black leaves on the hydrangea are always a hint, but this time the Rosa Rugosa seem to have suffered as well. This is…