"The palest ink....

..is better than the best memory"

A Chinese proverb

The garden group met over the weekend to complete outstanding jobs and continue planting and sowing seeds.  The tool shed was refreshed with Harvest Gold preservative and a new bamboo cane rack system was installed along the side which hopefully will keep them tidy.

The edible garden bed was dug over once again and some of our home made compost dug into it.  Whilst transferring the compost a lot of Rose Chafer larvae were discovered.  These are friendly as they convert vegetable matter  into useable compost

Rose Chafer larvae

In the Jurassic garden the tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) are doing well and the first fronds now look spectacular as they unfurl.  One plant which we were kindly given has finally showed itself.  We think that it is Umbrella Plant (Dermera peltata). The plant produces small leaves and flowers first and then produces much larger leaves.  We will have to wait and see!

Royal Fern

Tree Fern frond

Umbrella plant (Darmera peltata)- we think!

Nature in action!

Red-tailed Bumblebee

Pitcher plant flowers

Centipede meets large spider!

Repaired bat boxes after woodpecker damage

One of two sunflower plants which were kindly given

Repotted Antler plant

The greenhouse- trailing sunflowers in the foreground

A trial bee hotel was made and within minutes several Red Mason Bees had moved in.  You can just see their heads at the entrance hole

A Rheum palmatum which the garden group had been searching for was finally tracked down and is doing well. The leaves are particularly attractive and the plant will cover a large area when it is fully grown

As the day drew to a close  the sea mist, which had been swirling around the garden all afternoon, turned to steady rain and the group sat for a while watching the raindrops falling onto the pond water

Raindrops on the pond