Saturday, 17 August 2024

Six on Saturday - 17 August 2024

 I started to read some of the posts for Six on Saturday and read a description of a 'stealth drought' on One Man and his garden trowel, and although it is a little late in the day, I felt I ought to get down and write a little about what has gone on in the garden this week. I am linking into Jim's post for SOS. 

1. Butterflies and moths have been visiting the flowers in the garden, and I happened to notice this one on the glass of the conservatory early in the week: The Brimstone Moth

Brimstone Moth

2. Last weekend we visited one of my favourite Herb Growers in Somerset: Glenholme Herbs.  Their garden is lovely and I came away with a few purchases including three Echinacea pallida plants.  Nothing quite like a bit of gardening retail therapy to lift one's spirits. I had admired these in their garden last year and was so pleased they had some for sale.  A couple of Rosemary Tuscan Blue, and a Panicum virgatum Sangria, and a Pennisetum advena Rubrum seemed to sneak in with them too.


I am hoping these will be fairly drought tolerant. 
 It definitely feels like a stealth drought. I need to rethink my attitude to the garden, and also consider how I will alter the garden to make it more pleasing to me, and a little less dreary at this time of the year.  

3. This diminutive Sisyrinchium E K Balls which I first got in 2021 has taken to being divided very nicely and does not seemed phased by the sun or the weather we have been having. Being a sterile hybrid is just keeps on flowering. I find its thin leaves and blue mauve flowers quite enchanting.

Sisyrinchium E K Balls

4. Eryngium Silver Ghost has been a magnet for any passing bees and is also one coping well:


5. Arum Italicum's leaves have died away and now the seeds are ripening.  I've cleared the surrounding area in readiness for the cyclamen coming up.

Arum Italicum seed heads ripening

6. And since we have had a good share of flying objects how about this lovely Jersey Tiger Moth, which has probably been feeding on the large nettle patch just the other side of the garden wall.

Jersey Tiger Moth

As I found it when walking down the path, I was able to turn the dead moth over and here to reveal its lovely orange coloured under wings.


The stealthy fruit robbers aka Pesky Squirrels have now taken all the Darcy Spice Apples, and they must be strong as they are very difficult to detach from the tree

 


3 comments:

  1. That brimstone moth is very pretty. It's been a weird summer. I'm sure we've had some rain in recent months (usually when I've booked leave from work) but in reality we don't seem to have had very much at all, despite all the grey skies and whatnot. Re-thinking plants seems like a good idea.

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  2. One butterfly to start, 2 butterflies to finish. In the middle of the post, I find the Sisyrinchium flowers superb. I sowed a few, a few years ago. I only saw some flowers for one summer, but unfortunately the intense summer heat, even if the plant is in the shade, did not please it...Fred.

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  3. I’m not usually a fan of Sisyrinchium (too many clumps of the yellow one around here) but ‘E K Balls’ might change my mind - thequiltinggardener

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