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A beautiful buddleia bush (or more aptly named butterfly bush) on Carla's allotment....they love it.....a bumble bee sharing his flower with a stunning peacock butterfly.
And I think this is a comma butterfly.
All quite commonly seen on a summer's day in the UK but no less beautiful for that....I realise now that I NEED a macro lens...
A photo taken overlooking the small village of Fenny Bentley after a day spent exploring the picturesque market town of Ashbourne in the Derbyshire dales in the Peak District....
One day I'd like to have a white garden.....
Photo = white echinacea flower (coneflower) and a common blue butterfly.
Carla & I both bought some double hollyhock seeds on one of our visits to the Malvern Spring Gardening Show and this is how they have turned out.....simply fabulous.. Mine (ahem) are still in storage & due to be unleashed on an unsuspecting public at a later date!!
And some close ups of them in all their frilly knickered gorgeousness.....
First up, apologies for the loooong absence but I have been here, there and everywhere in the last couple of months and only just able to draw a breath......
From the picture above, you'll be able to deduce that I've been in the northern hemisphere.....the UK to be specific. For a whole month....so there was no way I could miss visiting some wonderful allotments. It's a good time of year to visit - weather wise you have an average chance of decent weather....that's also why you go for a month...your chances increase the longer you stay....
It is also a brilliant time of year for anyone who loves gardening - every growing thing is doing it's level best to exceed expectations - you can literally hear the plants growing if you keep very quiet. The season is ahead of itself this year as I was invited to pick blackberries on Mac's allotment in the first week of August.....normally they only start making an appearance in September.
I think Mac has had his allotment for over 20 years....if not longer! His allotment is so prolific that neighbours (and the rest of the Ilkeston) start hiding when they see him bearing gifts of baby marrows, chard, beans, peas, raspberries etc. Trouble is, everyone else has the same glut as Mac..
I was only to happy to start the blackberry picking sesaon off and managed a fairly decent haul.....the only negative with this crop is the thorns but so worth the pain in the end..
We turned the blackberries, along with some apples, autumn raspberries (also early) and some strawberries into a crumble.....delicious...& then froze the rest to used at a later date. It is very satisfying being able to use homegrown produce..and free too! In fact, you're doing someone a favour by taking their surplus off their hands....so a win-win situation really!
I was ably assisted in my duties by Montagu Tucker who kept an eagle eye on the proceedings....boy, I've missed that cat! The rest of you too....but the cat, in particular!
And once all the hard work was complete it was time for a nap in the sunshine....sometimes all the excitement life has to offer is just too much for one cat to cope with....