Herbs, Peas the Birds and the Bees

Yesterday after a nice afternoon in Lytham we came back and spent a couple of hours doing a few garden jobs . It was actually quite warm and the sun made an appearance . I
found a few things to pick which were ready,some lovely fresh garden peas, lettuce ,baby carrots and some herbs. The peas have been fairly easy to grow and next year all being well I will be growing many more instead of some of the other bits and bobs.
Today we had a really nice run out to a Garden centre nr Lancaster ,new to us , and I got a couple of plants that had bees humming all over them. Then we had tea and cake down by the canal at Galgate sitting in the sunshine.
Well those teasels in the garden are taking over and they had better attract the Goldfinches as we are getting caught on them every time we pass by! The Buddliea has been covered in flowers and the bees are there but only white butterflies so far.

Canal side wildlife

We had such a lovely time out on the boat on Sunday,it did not matter that it wasn't a perfect summer day as we saw some lovely wildlife . A kingfisher even put in a brief appearance as it flew ahead of us up the canal, the first we have seen this year.
The damselflies were mating and dragonflies were flying over the canal paths .

There were lots of the Orange red flying beetle insects on the wayside flowers and the dragonfly in the photo is a female of the chaser group of dragonflies being brown in colour.

What is going on with this weather, are we going to see a few really nice summer days or what!

The release of the Painted ladies

A message from my good friend Pat,could she release the newly emerged Painted Lady butterflies this evening in my garden as she felt they would fair much better here with a wider range of plants to feed from.
After weeks of her tending them ,from caterpillars through to their final stage ,it was a lovely moment to see them open their wings to the early evening sunshine and take their first tentative flight into the world around them. I was able to catch these photos before they were off.
It really has been wonderful to watch them grow and witness a process that many people never see up so close and as nature lovers we both felt really happy and sad to see them on their way.


I have found out what the very tall and strange plant is that is growing in the garden, it is now well over 6 ft tall..... a teasel. So mystery solved and I can now look forward to it attracting goldfinches and bees and then when the seed heads`dry they can be striking to add to flower arrangements. Did I plant it, I simply cannot remember as it is a takes 2 years to get to the flowering stage but I am glad its there! That's the wonderful mystery of gardening!

Ollie wanted me to play out in the front garden with his pampas grass leaf tonight and while there I tried to take his picture but he has an annoying habit of looking away...ah!

Oh boy did we have a 4pm downpour yesterday after a really good day up to then and it just happened to coincide with my bike ride home from the shops..I was WET but you know what it was great , warm summer rain, nature doing what it does best and hey it was good to be alive!

On the trail of the Damsel fly

I can't believe it is 3 weeks since I last updated this blog, where is the time going to?
I have had plenty of opportunities to get out and about with my camera on the canal and also on a really lovely 5 day break up to Dumfries and Galloway. We did take an awful lot of photos on that trip and I will be putting a few on here as soon as possible.
I find that what I most enjoy taking pictures of are the flowers and plants and insects that we find on our trips in the countryside or even here at home. Some like the damsel fly seen here ,don't make it easy for you as they dart so fast and furiously and I had to wait and follow him until at last he landed! The Butterfly was also very hard ,as soon as it saw my shadow it was off and I chased it up and down along the canal bank. It was a lovely sunny warm afternoon and bees and all manner of insects were out and about on all the vegetation on the banks.

I am busy setting up a sewing craft area down in the summer house as I have a few projects planned with some of the pretty materials I have been gradually been collecting and If I don't do something with them soon I will not feel justified if I am tempted again! Besides it's lovely down there at this time of year in the sun.

Our new neighbours cats have found our garden and have taken to visiting to see what my lot are up to. Mostly they sit in circle eyeing each other up and although Ginger did chase one off yesterday it was a very half hearted attempt. The mostly black cat is my Ollie and the other 'a friend!

A day at Speke Hall and June in the garden

I have been spending most evenings lately in the garden until well gone 9pm trying to finish all my pots of bedding plants so that come July and August should have a pretty summery display .The resident Thrush has been singing along madly on the house roof until really late and I managed to catch him in full voice so to speak in the photo .

We had a lovely weekend and took a trip to Speke Hall nr Liverpool, in fact it's very close to the Airport. I last went there some 30 years ago and remember it as being a little jaded and tired looking at the time but the National Trust took over in 1986 and since then they have restored the gardens and by the looks of it done a tremendous amount of work. I will be going back soon as there is so much to see and do.
Have also been catching up with some scrapbook layouts , getting a few ideas lately and trying to do at least one or two a week.I have decided to look further back to some good family pictures for inspiration. I've put a few up here and will be putting a few more soon.
Don't know how long this lovely weather will last but I am trying to enjoy it while we can and today went out on the bike twice which was lovely.
Have also put up some snaps of lovely Tom my gentle ginger cat and some of the summer flowers now looking nice in the garden.

Rufford Old Hall in Lancashire begun in the 1300s was the last stop on my Aunts stay up here in the county of Lancashire. She has been really surprised that we have such a wealth of old building and interesting towns, having mostly on previous trips, toured the southern half of England.

Its rumoured that in the late 1500s Will Shakespeare himself was part of a company of 'players , that were paid to put on shows here. It certainly does have a very fine old great hall that would have suited theatrical shows!

She is now down on the second phase of her holiday and has a full itinerary planned with visits to bath, Wisley Gardens and Waddesdon Manor.

It was a lovely 10 days and we all enjoyed our selves very much.
I have been taking photos of scarecrows I keep finding so far this is the scariest

Chester is a beautiful City to visit on any holiday. It just has so much to offer ,with all the wonderful old buildings and streets filled with great little shops to easily spend all your money in! Then there are no shortages of good restaurants and art galleries and museums.
We went into the Cathedral refectory for a lovely coffee and cake and I took the picture of the bright and cheerful stained glass window while we were there.