Bountiful Barleycorn In October

Large White And Red Admiral Butterflies On Michaelmas Daisies

At the beginning of October the sun shone brightly and our visiting butterflies had their last sustenance from our Michaelmas daisies. After such a poor Summer, weather-wise, with a period of almost ten weeks of rain, we are having a glorious Autumn.

Red Admiral and Hoverfly On Michaelmas Daisies

It was a joy to observe the flurry of frenzied activity on the various posies of Michaelmas Daisies around our ponds. I, too, enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my back while taking my little video of the butterflies and hoverflies. It makes my heart sing to see the fruition of all the hard work in creating our garden, when intensive farming methods deprive little creatures of their habitats.

Red Cotoneaster Berries

The birds and insects, too, have had a wonderful time gorging themselves on the Autumnal fruits and berries we provide for them. They had a choice of cotoneaster berries, rowan berries, crab apples, Japanese quince apples, the tomato-like hips on the Rosa Rugosa hedge, hips on our climbing roses and a cornucopia of seedheads from all the herbaceous borders.

White Bark Of The Jacquemontii Silver Birch Tree

Autumn is a wonderful sensory experience in the garden, with a rainbow of colour which paints a smile on the dullest of days. In this photograph, we can see the green leaves of the Cornus Alba, the White Dogwood behind the silver birch, turning to gold. But, now that we are at the end of October, they are all but spent.

View Across Part Of The Back Garden At Barleycorn

Our garden is too large to leave all the cutting-back to the Spring, when we would be in danger of trampling our bulbs. It means, therefore, that, in Autumn, my hubbie and I spend a fair amount of time cutting back spent stems which no longer bear seeds. It helps to encourage a new crown around the centre of the plants, which, in turn, protects them over the Winter. As you can see from this photograph, we have left the foliage on the pond plants at this late date in the calendar, as they give shelter to a host of insects.

Red Autumn Foliage On Joseph's Rock Rowan

When you come to view the little video (at the end of this post, made up of snippets taken during this month at Barleycorn) the Joseph's Rock Rowan has green foliage with yellow/orange berries. This photograph, however, shows the amazing transformation from green to yellow to its glorious red Autumnal coat...but, even as I type, the tree is almost in silhouette...

Lily Leaves In The Pond

I have said, many times, the ponds are a constant source of delight to us, and never more so than when they are wearing their Autumnal hues. As an amateur watercolourist, I delight in the photographs which show the play of light on the ponds. The reflections never cease to amaze me.

The Potentilla Hedge Up The Drive

Our Potentilla hedge, planted by my hubbie, flowers for six months of the year and feeds insects and birds to their heart's content. Whenever we walk its length, sparrows are chattering amongst its thick-set foliage, safe in the knowledge we can scarcely spy them. On frosty days, it is often draped in dew-filled spiders' webs, which, like so many fairy necklaces, exude an air of magic.

Hosta Foliage In Autumn

Even though many gardeners are keen to tidy up, I prefer to leave the hosta leaves until they disappear by themselves into the ground. On dry days, I like nothing better than coming across a filigree-patterned leaf, with only the skeleton of the veins showing.

Crocosmia Leaves And Spent Grasses

Once or twice, we have come across a hedgehog's nest in the garden. They are shaped like a rugby ball with the lower half underground in a hollow in the earth and the top half made from the long foliage of grasses and crocosmia, all woven together with hedgehog spittle. Once, to our delight, we found three babies inside. However, on closer inspection, we found they were dead, and we wondered if their mother had been killed on the road, as is, sadly, often the case.

Lichens On Logs

Here and there, around the garden, we have logs for insects to hide in and to chew. Over the years we have had to replace many of them as the insects, and the weather, have reduced them to smithereens. The glaucous blue lichens growing on these logs are worth a closer inspection. Just click on the photograph.

Taz, The Barn Cat, Under A Weeping Birch Tree

Those of you, who follow the blog, will know that Taz had a friend called Cookie who shared the barn with him for the past four years. Her original owners have now decided to take her back to live with them and their seven new cats. No sooner has that happened than a new cat, jet black with green eyes, has made himself at home in the barn. Since the barn is 70 foot long, they will be able to give each other a wide berth if they fail to bond.

White Iceberg Climbing Rose

This climbing rose stays with us till January. I am so glad it is so hardy, and is covered in heads at the moment. Hoverflies, flies, spiders, and a myriad of other insects feed on it, and, in turn, they feed the birds. Although its foliage sometimes suffers from a spot of mildew, the blooms don't seem to be affected.

Crimson Glory Climbing Rose

This rose has been growing up the wall next to our back door for eighteen years now. It has a profusion of blooms throughout the Summer and has a pleasing fragrance. I miss its cheery colour when it goes to sleep next month.

Ox-Eye Daisies

These daisies spread themselves freely around the garden and I love them for it. They brighten dark areas of the garden, such as next to this pile of twigs and logs. Each head always seems cheerful to me with the golden cups of sunshine in their centres. They open with the dawn and close at dusk, which is why they are called the day's eye...

Who Goes There?

I am a light sleeper and often hear our local Barn Owl screeching as it catches its prey during the night. Often there is a large pile of feathers lying along one of our paths. This pile looks to have been left by a sparrowhawk though, as I often see one de-feathering a smaller bird in the same spot... near the stane-dyke wall adjacent to the field behind our garden, so that he has access to a quick getaway.

Balloon Over Barleycorn

Our October weather has been perfect for ballooning and the prevailing winds often carry the balloon over our house. I always greet the travellers with a friendly wave and they often call down to me. Three years ago, our elder son and his new bride treated us to a flight and it was a wonderful experience flying over our village, cameras at the ready, taking aerial views of our garden.

Sunset Behind Barleycorn

We do not always have beautiful Autumn sunsets, so I made the best of an opportunity to take several photographs of the ones we have enjoyed this month. In this photograph, as the sun neared the horizon it became a fiery red.

Sunset Behind Barleycorn 2

It's always exciting to have the silhouettes of trees in the foreground. The tree in the middle is a Holly so it will stay in that form. But, the two either side of it are Silver Birches, and, gradually, they will become more streamlined.

Sunset Behind Barleycorn 3

As if it wasn't enough of a pleasure to be writing this post, a surprise came to me the other day from one of my blogging pals, Linda May, who writes at

http://llindylou.blogspot.com/

She very kindly gave me the One Lovely Blog Award. I feel very humbled and honoured to receive this award. Linda writes from Canberra about her garden and her family and, in her own words, would "like my writing to be thought of as 'painting pictures with words' ".

In turn, I have to nominate blogs which I feel worthy of recommendation.

http://mywildlifesanctuary.blogspot.com/

http://nature-trail.blogspot.com/

http://walklabyrinth.blogspot.com/

http://jeannesbliss.blogspot.com/

http://beneaththewater.blogspot.com/

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My video consists of many snippets taken during the month of October in our garden as well as footage of Greylag Geese flying over our garden and in a field along the road from us. Turn up the volume to hear my CD of Josh Groban singing, 'You Raise Me Up'.

Autumn Blessings At Barleycorn

Betula Youngii, Silver Birch Tree

I can hardly contain the deep-seated joy I feel, for we are now into early Autumn, with all the blessings this contrasting season brings. Even on a dull day, with a grey sky and no sunshine, this silver birch tree appears to be on fire with its brilliant, orange foliage.

Hosta Sieboldiana

Let's see how many tones we can find in the foliage of the hosta...pale, mid and dark green; greenish-yellow, pale yellow and yellow tinged with brown. What's not to marvel at, considering the hosta is a shade of glaucus blue when it is 'in season'?

Cupid's Dart, Catananche Caerulea

Late flowering plants, such as Cupid's Dart, are such a boon in the garden, for they continue to feed the insects, which, in turn, feed the birds. And how boring our gardens would be without the presence of wildlife, which gives purpose and meaning to the plants, and daily interest to the wildlife gardener.

Hydrangea Petiolaris

The front of our house has some yellow brick, called rustic straw-thatch. In Summer the climbing hydrangea is in contrast to it with its green foliage and clusters of pretty cream-coloured blossoms. In Autumn, however, the golden colours of the leaves merge with the brick to give it the appearance of a living wall.

Japanese Anemone Anthers

When I planted our Japanese anemones, I never imagined how well they would establish themselves and multiply over the years. Although I have pleasure admiring their beauty, their main purpose is their anthers which act as a magnet to a multitude of insects at a time when a lot of plants in our nectar borders are spent.

Potentilla

We have a potentilla hedge bordering the front garden, and several individual specimens within our island beds. They are in bloom from June till October, producing a surfeit of flowers and providing shelter to our garden in our windswept landscape. But, in Autumn, the tiny green leaves turn to shades of gold, red, russet, orange and brown as they don their amazing Autumnal techni-coloured coat.

Japanese Anemones

In Spring, after months of the dark days of Winter, we gardeners rejoice at the first sightings of snowdrops. So, too, in Autumn, when the frenzy of the flowering plants has all but disappeared, we rejoice in the flowers which are hardy enough to cope with the early Autumn chills.

Sorbus Cashmiriana, white Rowan Berries

Rowan trees grow particularly well in remote parts of Scotland. In Autumn flocks of fieldfares, as well as garden birds in general, feast on their orange and red berries. In contrast, the Cashmiriana Rowan has white berries while those on the Joseph Rock Rowan are yellow. I love all my rowan trees, but appreciate their beauty most when they are wearing their Autumnal coats.

Hoverfly On White Japanese Anemone

Since we are still in early Autumn here, we have yet to look forward to those 'seasons of mist' days Keats wrote about. That said, we certainly have ample evidence of the 'mellow fruitfulness' in the garden.

Hips On The Rosa Moyesii Geranium Rose

Unlike the plump tomato-like hips on our Rosa Rugosa rose hedge, the blood-red hips on the Rosa Moyseii Geranium rose are elongated and flagon-shaped and give a spectacular display for weeks on end.

Deep Pink Japanese Anemones

Autumn sunlight can produce wonderful surprises, showing off the underside of this Japanese Anemone to perfection. I enjoy observing how the blooms follow the sun 's journey each day, as if trying to thrive for as long as possible.

Autumn foliage On Geranium Macrorrhizum

Family and friends, who visit our garden regularly, are aware of how many species of geranium I grow, for I have yet to find a duff geranium. They more than pay their way, being disease resistant, requiring little maintenance and producing months of repeat-flowering in different hues. Apart from being good ground-cover plants, the Macrorrhizum Geranium's leaves, when crushed, have a distinct aroma similar to blackcurrants, and change into shades of scarlet, bright yellow and russet-brown at this time of year.

Annual Sweet Peas

Over a pyramidal trellis I grow an everlasting sweet pea, which is pretty to look at but which has little, if any, scent. To counteract this, I grow highly-scented annual sweet peas on the other side of the main stem so that the bees, insects, moths and butterflies can feast on their rich source of nectar.

Annual Ladybird Poppy

Contrasting with the lacy, dark green leaves of a rockery geranium, the longevity of the Ladybird Poppies is a particular joy as they help to prolong the season of flowering plants. If I am further blessed, and the frosts stay away, it will continue to bloom in late October. Poppies, to me, are sights for sore eyes. I have already gathered some seed to share with friends who appreciate their beauty as much as I do.

Raspberry Foliage

When I was younger I grew row upon row of raspberry canes. Nowadays I confine myself to a few pots as they are easier to control and create less work. Even on their leaves, I marvel at the many differing hues...from emerald green, through shades of orange and red, to russet.

Willow Warbler On Teasel
One Autumn visitor - a bringer of pleasure - is the Willow Warbler. As well as enjoying hearing the songs of Robin and Wren's churring back in the garden, the Willow Warbler has a magical tune of his own. He is the Tit Willow in the Mikado. I love the yellow stripe above his eye, his yellow-tinged breast and his grey-green back. He flies in to eat spiders, insects, fruit and berries. I caught this little one drinking from the water cupped between the teasel leaves.

Roly Poly Bales

This year I managed to observe, and video, the farmer, who owns the field adjacent to Barleycorn, garnering his barley harvest. After ten weeks of wall-to-wall rain, we had two weeks of drying sunny weather during which all the local farmers gathered their harvests. Whereas I cultivate the garden for pleasure, the cultivation of the farmers' is their livelihood. There were almost audible sighs of relief all round when the weather changed in time for the harvests.

Barleycorn Pond

As ever, the two ponds continue to offer entertainment. Nearly the end of September and we still have many lilies with beautiful leaves in their Autumn colours. On sunny days the frogs give a chorus or two; there is still the red-lettered day when we spy a dragon-fly and the birds still come to bathe and drink and gorge themselves on the insects flitting around the stems of the marginal plants.

Michaelmas Daisies

Apart from the cheerful, pastel shade of mauve, these asters are well worth growing as they are another rich source of nectar at the 'end' of the season. I find bees, hoverflies, insects and the last of the butterflies almost 'glued' to their centres, so desperate are they to survive another day.

Annual Cornfield Poppies

The seering vermillion of these little darlings keep my spirits up as I look forward to Autumn coming into full swing. How can I not feel blessed to be surrounded by such beauty which lifts my spirits and feeds my soul?
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Click to enlarge any of the photographs you particularly like and see the most amazing detail.
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If the videos 'stick' move the cursor along the red line, and they will flow. If you prefer, you can watch them on YouTube.
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All good things around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord,
Oh, thank the Lord,
For all His love.
xxxxxxx

Flutterings At Our Little Corner Of Paradise

Hoverflies, Episyrphus Balteatus, On Inula Daisy

Although the weather in August, here at Barleycorn, mostly consisted of wall-to-wall rainfall, there were sufficient dry spells between the showers for me to capture a few treasured moments with a variety of insects at the nectar bars.

Painted Lady Butterfly On Inula Daisy

This year, although Britain has had an influx of the Painted Lady butterflies, I have seen very few of them here at Barleycorn because of the heavy showers. But, even a few moments of magic colours my life with immeasurable joy and delight.

Large White Butterfly On Inula Daisy

Perhaps it's because they are so fleeting and rare that I appreciate their visits so much. Their intrinsic beauty speaks for itself. Who could not wonder at their diaphanous, gossamer wings, their irridescent colours, the lightness of their presence?

Peacock Butterfly On Inula Daisy

Who could not marvel at the rich chestnut colouring and the amazing 'eyes' of the majestic Peacock butterfly? My heart skips a beat every time I catch a glimpse of them feeding at my inula daisies. I normally have sightings of half a dozen Peacocks. But, this year, sadly, the visit felt very poignant as there was only one.

Small White Butterfly On Inula Daisy

Happily, there were lots of Small Whites in the garden. The green veining under their wings is most attractive. Of all the butterflies which visit the garden, these ones are most skittish when I approach them gently to take a photograph.

Red Admiral On Ligularia

The presence of the Red Admiral butterfly in the garden is like watching a glider in action. The slow, deliberate wingbeats, coupled with their striking black wings fringed with orange-y red, makes a huge impact.

Tortoiseshell On Ligularia

The Small Tortoiseshell does well in this area, managing to overwinter in warm places such as the crevices in our barn. In the month of May I sometimes find myself freeing their wings which have become temporarily entangled on spiders' webs on the barn windows, while being dried in the sunshine, before flying off to find their first meal of the year.

Silver-Y Moth On Ligularia

This beautiful, day-flying moth came to feast on the ligularia beside the back pond. It hovered almost the whole time while it combed the plant, and, so voracious, that it seemed to go at a pace of knots. I was not familiar with its name and spent a whole afternoon searching websites and my own guide to identify it. The Y in its name comes from the white marking resembling the letter Y on its front wings.

Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral and Bumble Bee On Ligularia

I was extremely fortunate to capture this photograph as the rain had stopped for what seemed like a fraction of a second during a day of non-stop showers. I edged my way, slowly, near the plant, as surreptitiously as I could, so as not to disturb them, and managed to take a little video, when, all of a sudden, there was another sudden outburst, and we never saw them again that day.

Female Bumble Bee, Bombus Terrestris On Inula

It is always a delight to find bees and Bumble bees in the garden, more so now than ever, as they are in danger, with many of them susceptible to diseases. I especially love their droning, as they accompany me around the garden on hot Summer days. But, after so much rainfall, I appreciate their serenading even more. They give me a feeling of hope. I always feel they are gentle creatures, here on earth to do the most amazing job of pollinating our plants. In Sichuan Province in China they have to pollinate plants by hand as all their bees were wiped out by chemicals.

Bluebottle, Callifora Vomitoria On Inula Bud

Even the common bluebottle has to feed and they compete with the hoverflies, the bees and the butterflies at the nectar-rich flowers. I keep them out of the house as far as I am able. But, I don't mind them in the garden as they feed the frogs and the birds.
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The three videos below are made up of photographs and video clips taken during the month of August. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did filming them. My hubbie often says I have the happy knack of knowing where the Wild Things are, and in spite of all the monsoon rains we have been having, I do think it's more than just good luck that I managed to capture these beautiful creatures on film.

Ephemeral Poppies

Papaver Somniferum, Bumble Bee On Poppy

Though I love the myriad of beautiful flowers growing in our cottage garden, each year I look forward especially to the magical appearance of my beloved annual poppies. Because they are fleeting, time is of the essence. Because they are ephemeral, each moment they are in flower has to be savoured, for, all too soon, they are gone. Ephemeral, like time itself...for it, too, must never be taken for granted.

White Danebrog Poppy

Lord, I have time,

Papaver Paeoniflorum, Black Double-Flowered Peony Poppy

I have plenty of time,

Papaver Somniferum, Cherry Glow Red Poppy

All the time that you give me,

Papaver Somniferum, Lilac Cabbage Poppy, With Bumble Bee

The years of my life,

Papaver Somniferum, Deep Purple Opium Poppy

The days of my years,

Papaver Rhoeas, Angels Choir Poppy

The hours of my days.

Papaver Rhoeas, Double Corn Poppy

They are all mine.

Papaver Paeoniflorum, Pink Peony Poppy

Mine to fill, quietly, calmly,

Papaver Laciniata, Red Serrated Poppy



But to fill completely, up to the brim,
Papaver Somniferum, Red Opium Poppy

To offer them to you,

Papaver Rhoeas, Shirley Poppy

That of their insipid water

Papaver Rhoeas, Double Red Corn Poppy

You may make a rich wine

Papaver Somniferum, Red Poppy

Such as you made once

Papaver Somniferum, Pink Opium Poppies

In Cana of Galilee

Papaver Paeoniflorum, Purple Peony Poppy

I am not asking you today, Lord,

White Danebrog Poppy

For time to do this and that,

Papaver Paeoniflorum, Mixed Peony Poppy

But for your grace to do conscientiously,

Papaver Laciniata, Red Serrated Poppy

In the time that you give me,

Papaver Paeoniflorum, Mixed Peony Poppies

What you want me to do. Amen

Papaver Rhoeas, Mixed Shirley Poppies

Prayer by Michel Quoist

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The first video is of my beloved annual poppies growing at Barleycorn this month.

The second video is of the summer meadow - a little paradise - growing at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh this month.

Softly Awakes My Heart

House Martin Resting

Of all the months in the year, July, more than any other month, epitomises the poem I wrote about the garden.

Wind through the barley,

The song of the breeze,

Ephemeral poppies

The tracery of trees,

Barleycorn - Magic!

A feast for the eyes,

Our little corner of paradise

Young Greenfinch In flight

At this time of year everything in the garden conspires to awaken my senses and make my spirits soar, whether it be a baby house martin on its first flight taking a rest by the pond or the balletic dance of a young greenfinch, wings outspread, aiming for the bird feeder.

Adult Swallow On The Barn Gutter

Blessed with two pairs of swallows' nests in the barn this year, their fledglings from the first broods are already sitting in lines along the rafters inside the barn waiting for their parents to deliver their never-ending supply of sustenance.


Alstroemeria, Peruvian Lily

Whether I am listening to the cacophony of the feeding frenzy from my vantage point on one of the benches in the garden or trying to avoid being dive-bombed when my footsteps are too close to the barn, I cannot help but marvel at their determination to raise two broods successfully, all within one short Summer.

Papaver Rhoeas, Annual Cornfield Poppies

Whenever I wander in the garden I find the birdsong music for the soul. I could never sit listening to the radio, for it would stop me drinking in the sights and sounds around me. The beauty and intensity of the scarlet poppies gives me a feeling of renewed energy and the enthusiasm to promise myself to grow even more new varieties next year.

Papaver Somniferum, Danish Flag Poppy

So-called because the white flag in the centre resembles the flag of Denmark, these poppies have always been one of my favourite annuals. I find their deeply serrated scalloped petal edges most attractive. I found myself having to grow them in pots this year, space being at a premium nowadays in our busy garden. They require light to germinate and develop, otherwise they would get lost in the thick undergrowth.

Papaver Somniferum Var. Paeoniiflorum, Red Flowered Peaony Poppy

Eighteen Summers ago, during the first year of the garden, I sowed many packets of annual poppies amongst other meadow flowers such as corn marigolds, corncockles, cornflowers and ox-eye daisies. I had the romantic notion of wandering through the garden, paintbrush in hand, as if in one of the dreamy landscapes of my childhood, when these flowers were a common sight beautifying the cornfields.


Papaver Somniferum Var. Paeoniiflorum, Pink Peaony Flowered Poppies

It was very cost-effective, as well as a strikingly beautiful way to fill large tracts of our half-acre plot of ground quickly. This Summer I cleared away an area in our scree bed which contained woody, overgrown phlox, long since past its best, and, low and behold, the dormant seed from the paeony poppies appeared of its own accord, as if by magic. Nature often gives us surprises.


Annual Cornfield Poppies and Ox-Eye Daisies

I think its important to dream while awake, and where better than amongst the meadow flowers of one's own garden? Here I can sit and watch the majestic sky turning from leaden grey to azure blue, or watch a sunset, one minute a misty yellow, the next a melange of watery indigo-violet-pink.


Ripening Barley In The Adjacent Field



Living so close to nature as I do, it's impossible not to have feelings of positivity. To watch the farmer sow his seed in Spring, and observe the transformation of bare earth into a carpet of emerald-green shoots, is like saying farewell to dark Winter...and when, in July, the carpet turns a shade of gold, it feels nothing short of a miracle.


Cookie, The Barn Cat


Whenever I see Cookie outdoors I know it will be a beautiful warm day, for she is old now and only ventures out on the hottest of days, preferring to lie under the heat of the light bulb we have suspended above where she sleeps in the barn. She is a gentle soul, grateful for everything we do for her, and seems in a permanent state of bliss. She always reminds me to hug my friends for time passes for all of us.

Taz, Cookie's Friend

Being a much younger cat, Taz abounds with energy in his thick coat of fur. He has taken up Monstie's mantle of being my constant companion, following me around the garden, resting where I rest, often beside the poppies. Taz reminds me to have fun, and not to take myself too seriously, for no one else will.


Raindrops On Asiatic Lilies

For several years now we have grown large Oriental and the smaller Asiatic lilies in pots and troughs to provide us with a colourful display and a splash of the exotic in the garden. The flowers are long lasting with several blooms on each stem. Each Spring I renew the compost and offer any lily grubs I find to the robin.


Mixed Asiatic Lilies

This year I chose a delicate shade of pink to marry up with the russet-coloured bulbs my hubbie chose. When they came into bloom we noticed a rogue yellow one, which just goes to show we think we are in control of our lives, though, in fact, the opposite is often the case.


Calendula Officinalis, Scotch Marigold

The light in Scotland at this time of year is often quite spectacular, and a painter's paradise. Some evenings, just as the sun is setting, there is a glow coming up over the eastern horizon, making it almost continuous daylight, and the further north one travels, the more frequently this occurs.

Strawberries

July and August are the strawberry-picking months at Barleycorn and this year's harvest has been no exception. Whenever we have a bumper crop, my hubbie is often heard to say, if he eats many more strawberry tarts, cakes, pavlovas and jam, he might waken up one morning with a husk growing out of the top of his head.

Salad Leaves

My little pots of salad crops have yielded an ongoing treat of coriander, fennel, parsley, mustard, Lollo Rosso, purple basil and chives brightening up the salad days of Summer, and have encouraged us to eat more natural foods and less processed.

Mixed Salad Leaves With Alpine Strawberries

One of the wonderful things about growing Alpine strawberries is that the birds seem to leave them alone. In a salad their tartness goes well with the petals of Scotch marigolds, apple mint and borage flowers, which I also put into ice cubes to cool our elderflower wine.

Papaver Somniferum, Orange Oriental Poppies

As well as the very vibrant orange Oriental poppies, with heads the size of dinner plates, I also grow the more muted shades of white and delicate pink. The strong variation in colour reminds me not to compare myself to others. Rather, I feel we should appreciate our individuality and be mindful of the fact that each of us has our own charisma.

Papaver Somniferum, Dusky Pink Oriental Poppy

It wouldn't do if we were all made the same way, for that would be boring. The essence is the difference. I feel our concern should be to look after others and help our friends, for when we are sick, they will matter most in life.

Papaver Somniferum, Fuchsia Pink Oriental Poppy

As for our families, we should keep in touch with them as often as possible, never taking for granted the love and joy which enriches our daily existence. My brother taught me that people matter most in life. If we begin each morning with a goal, we will be able to count our blessings in the evening.

Papaver Somniferum, Perry's White Oriental Poppy

White flowers seem to create a feeling of peace in the garden, an air of innocence, a time for reflection. Feelings of stress melt away and are replaced by a sense of tranquillity. With calm, comes the knowledge that life, in all its forms, is very beautiful. We have one chance only to make our mark, and we must grab it with both hands.

White Pond Lily

Arguments are, in the main, useless, and, therefore, a waste of time, and only bring out our horns and tails. We have no control about what others think and say about us, so why worry? Bearing that in mind, we should make peace with our past, for we are responsible for our own happiness.

Mixed Pond Lilies, Ranunculus and Flag Irises

On hot July days when my hubbie and I sit by the ponds drinking refreshing green tea or a glass of wine, watching the damsels dart this way and that amongst the lilies, I reflect upon how thankful I am for the love and laughter we have shared in our lives together and for the beauty that surrounds us.

Changing Foliage Of The Lilypads

The ethereal quality of the light reflecting on the ponds creates an ever-changing tapestry of colour and texture throughout the seasons. No sooner are we revelling in the delights of Summer, when an orange leaf reminds us Autumn is just around the corner. It's that carpe diem thing of seizing the day and living in the moment.

Dragonfly Skin

We should never allow ourselves to lose that childlike excitement of savouring the new, even if we saw the phenomena last year. A dead skin is evidence of the dragonfly completing its life-cycle in our ponds and proves they are healthy habitats for the myriad of wildlife they support.

Across The Back Pond

I am frequently asked how much work the ponds entail and the answer is quite straightforward. In the eighteen years since we first created them, we have only cut back rampant growth of the vigorous grasses once. Part of the problem was that the lilies took time to establish, whereas the grasses had to be hacked from their baskets. Covering as much of the pond's surface is the secret to preventing algal growth.

Blue Pond Irises

Other than that the ponds have mostly looked after themselves. On a sunny day I might skim a light rake across the surface of the water to collect any floating algae,
which I then leave along the edges of the pond to allow any creatures to make their way back to safety. After a week the algae goes on the compost heap.

Delphiniums, Arunus and Aconites

Along the stone-dyke wall bordering the adjacent field, I grow delphiniums, aruncus, aconites and a yellow berberis for the visiting bees and bumblies. In June and July the whole length of the path seems to hum with the soothing drone of their music. It is one of my favourite sounds of Summer.

Bumble Bee On Delphinium

In the early years I used to grow delphinium and foxglove seeds in alternate years, as I love both of these flowers so much. It's all to do with their attractive tapering spires and the fact that the bees adore them. However, the slugs can be voracious gobblers over the Winter months when the frogs are hibernating at the bottom of the ponds and there is a scarcity of hedgehog activity. This white one is a favourite as it has managed to win the battle each year.

Blackbird Singing In The Rain

Each year the garden manages to support several blackbird nests. As a result we are serenaded morning, noon and night. If any of you have been wondering about the beautiful whistling in the background to the videos, nine times out of ten, it is most likely that of the blackbird's. I posted this photo to show that we have had some rain during this glorious Summer, and the darling bird in the photo has sung his way through the sunshine and the showers, filling my heart with gladness.

Rainbow Over Barleycorn

Although July is our monsoon month, after the rain comes the beautiful rainbow. The Greek legend tells us that Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, was sent to replenish the rainclouds, and how else would our crops grow without precious water? If that doesn't retore your soul and make you feel, 'God is in his heaven, All's right with the world', then nothing will.

Barleycorn In July

This is the sight which greets visitors to Barleycorn in the month of July, though the poppies will last till September. Poppies and violas between the paving stones, Oriental and Asiatic lilies in pots and troughs and the climbing New Dawn Rose over the door...to say, Welcome, Everyone!

Barleycorn Sunset

Saint-Saens' music, 'Softly Awakes My Heart', sung by Olga Borodina, plays in the background of my little video. It helps to impart my feeling about the sensory experiences at Barleycorn in the month of July. Not for me the tedious queue at the airport on a hot, sticky day waiting to fly off to some exotic destination. Everything I need is right here in our little corner of paradise.

Translation Of The Aria

My heart opens to your voice as the flowers open at dawn's kisses!

But, o my beloved, the better to dry my tears,

let your voice speak once more!

Tell me that you are coming back to Delilah for ever!

Reminding me once again

of the promises of bygone days, those promises I loved!

Ah! Answer my tenderness,

Fill me with ecstasy!

Answer my tenderness.

Some of you may prefer to turn up the volume as part of the footage was taken on windy days.

Barleycorn Meditation In June

Papaver Rhoeas, Cornfield Poppy

When I was born, God blessed me with the gift of wonder, which nurtured my passion for life in general, and the world of Nature in particular. I seem to observe the flora and fauna around me as if wearing the rose-tinted spectacles of a young child exploring everything in the environment for the first time. That's why, for me, the appearance of the first cornfield poppy in our garden in June causes my heart to skip a beat.

Swallows At Barleycorn

Along with this gift came the blessing of optimism, which helps me to look at the broader picture in life, and, in times of adversity, helps to sustain me. I believe that we are the stewards of the earth and that we are meant to live in harmony with Nature in all its glory. When I contemplate the difficulties facing a pair of swallows returning all the way from Africa in order to rebuild their nest in the same place in our barn, year upon year...well, that blows my mind!

Mixed Aquilegia, Columbine

How do they do it? Each Spring I await their arrival with bated breath, and my spirits soar when I hear their excited twittering overhead. Our barn doors have a space at the top where they swoop in and out to their nest, like trapeze artists, with perfect ease, never missing the mark. Taz and Cookie, the barn cats, are well-used to sharing their quarters over the Summer months with two messy broods of chicks.

Mecanopsis Cambria, Welsh Poppies

Even though the path behind our barn is 70 foot long, it is a mere metre in width. When we came here, almost eighteen years ago, it seemed appropriate to sow wild flowers along the length of it. Some years biennial foxgloves grow in profusion, their long tapering spires offering tunnels of delight to foraging bees. This year, it's the turn of the Welsh poppies to hum with droning bumblies.

Cepaea Hortensis, Banded Snail

And what about the place of the humble snail in my garden? Loving all God's creatures as I do, I could not possibly imagine that my duty should be one of extermination for the entire population, for how else would the beautiful song thrush, which serenades me each morning, thrive? Or, for that matter, the colony of frogs which breed in the two ponds? And what would our resident hedgehogs feed on?

Christophii Alliums, Ornamental Onions

Wildlife will only thrive in a nurturing environment and form part of the magical web of life in our gardens with our help. That does not mean to say I skip for joy when I discover a row of seeds has disappeared overnight. Instead, I grow some of my salad crops in pots and in long containers, as well as in the earth. That way, there's always some to spare. I find eggshells and coffee grinds helpful deterrants, as well as a border of Scotch marigolds or alliums.

Painted Lady Butterfly On Polygonum Superbum, Bistort

Another exciting visitor to arrive in our garden from Africa each year is the Painted Lady butterfly. This year there seems to be a mass migration, here in the UK. This one is feeding on the bistort, Polygonum Superbum, which I grow as an early nectar border plant beside the pond at the front of the house. Some people find the bistort a noxious weed, and, on first appearances, it does not seem to have the wow factor, but my feelings positively warm to it when I observe so many butterflies, bees and insects foraging on its flowers.

Papaver Orientalis, Double-Petalled Oriental Poppy

The colour palette in the garden consists mainly of shades of pink, blue, mauve, lavender, violet and purple, with some yellow and white, here and there. But, all that subtlety changes dramatically in the month of June, when the Hallelujah Chorus of the garden - the Oriental poppies - punctuate the otherwise muted tones. I am not alone in feeling attracted by the enormous vibrant redheads, with their striking inky-black anthers, for the bees pay them frequent visits too.

Lychnis-Flos-Cuculi, Ragged Robin

The wild lychnis, otherwise known as Ragged Robin, has a special place in my heart as it transports me back in time to childhood walks with my family, when we were allowed to gather and press a collection of wildflowers in a scrapbook in order to identify them. When my own children were growing up we took pocket guides with us for identification. Back home, we would draw sketches of the plants and the wildlife we had seen. I grow my Ragged Robins at the edge of the pond as they prefer their feet in damp places.

Papaver Orientalis, Dusky Dawn, Oriental Pink Poppy

The flamboyant Oriental poppies need not clash with the quieter tones in the garden as they come in gentle shades of pink, such as the one above, and Patty's Plum is a lovely shade of blackcurrant-purple. I also make room for a lovely classic white one called Perry's White.

Bombus, Bumble Bee On Lupin

My favourite sounds in the garden are the birdsong and the humming of the bees. For me, nothing exudes that magical quality of June in the garden more than bees' humming. Nothing makes me happier than to potter away the afternoon, thinking of nothing in particular, with the birds and bees for company.

Papaver Orientalis, Double-Petalled Oriental Poppy

Raindrops on poppies is also a common sight in the Barleycorn garden, for without the much-needed rain, my garden would not look as vibrant and lush as it does, and, never more so, than in the month of June. Even in their 'going over' period, I find beauty in the crumpled, frilly, translucent petals, and the discarded black anthers lying on the ground.

Rosa Zepherine Drouhin, Bourbon Rose

As far as I'm concerned the garden has to be a complete sensory experience, with smell coming to the fore in the Summer months. With that idea in mind, I grow a climbing Bourbon rose, called Rosa Zepherine Drouhin, outside one of the bedroom windows, so that its heady perfume fills the air on warm June days in particular. This year we have been blessed with a profusion of blooms. For me, this is a huge bonus as it is so difficult to grow roses in these parts as we are 225 metres above sea-level, with frequent winds blowing across the landscape.

Papaver Orientalis, Red Oriental Poppy

'Red and green should never be seen', goes the old adage. But, I love the combination. Green goes with everything as it is a perfect foil. With flowers as big as dinner plates, translucent petals for light to dance upon, ephemeral poppies add a touch of sophistication and glamour to the garden in Summer. I love the finely-cut, fern-like, hairy green foliage and the silky-textured, crepe paper petals of the ballgown flowers. You could be forgiven for thinking that the stunning blooms they produce would be difficult to grow, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Zygoptera, Red Damselfly

Red, blue and green damselflies flit around the ponds in June, adding a magical touch to the garden. With their two pairs of translucent, gossamer wings folded along their abdomen, they measure about 30mm in length. The adults feed on small insects and their larvae live on aquatic insects before emerging, after one year, as adults. I regard them as the fairies of the garden and find them very attractive to watch on sunny afternoons. Is anything more redolent of Summer?

Pots Of Salad Crops

It's amazing how many pots of plants can be grown from one bag of potting compost and a few packets of seeds. I also grow a few raspberry canes in pots, though I grow my strawberries in beds. Is there anything more exciting than eating one's home-grown produce, whether it be for a few weeks or a few months of the Summer?

Papaver Orientalis Turkenlouis, Oriental Poppy Curlylocks

Turkenlouis has to be the loudest Oriental poppy I grow. I love its serrated edges, the double-frilled petals and how they always hold their heads open to reveal the enormous seedbox and the black anthers. I grow it beside a yellow hemerocalis for contrast.

Hosta Sieboldiana

Hosta Sieboldiana has large, deeply-ridged, heart-shaped leaves of glaucus blue, and, when it rains, it holds enormous droplets of water. I find that most attractive. In all eighteen years here, the slugs and snails have never attacked my hostas...and I have many varieties of them. It is a dramatic plant in any border.

Papaver Orientalis, Oriental Poppies By The Front Pond

Over the years, I have filled my cottage garden with so many plants, there is little room for weeds to grow. A few years ago, in Springtime, while the plants were still small, I covered the areas between the flowers with bark, as a weed suppressant. It also helps as a mulch in dry weather.

Taz, The Barn Cat, In The Back Garden

Along the back wall bordering the adjacent farmer's field, I grow a nectar border for insects and butterflies, which, in turn, feed the birds. Taz, one of the barn cats, likes to lie in wait for voles and shrews. Over the years, I have been chasing my tail trying to combat the fierce winds blowing down my taller flowers, such as delphiniums and aconites, that I decided upon a plan of action for the whole garden.

Geranium Psilostemon

For two days in the month of June, I go around the whole garden with canes of varying sizes and thin green wire and insert them as a defence barrier. It looks a bit like invisible mending, for only the sharpest eyes could detect where I have been. It has been most successful over the past few years, as everything is held upright till the end of the season and the paths are kept clear. Best of all, on wet days, it is possible to walk around the entire garden without wet plants brushing against one's legs. This tall psilostemon geranium would be flattened by our strong winds in a day if it were not held upright. I love its magenta-coloured flowers as well as its attractive foliage.

Housemartins At Barleycorn

This year our housemartins did not arrive till the first day of June. But, we are lucky to have them. Normally we have three pairs building in the three apexes of the house, sometimes with triple nests in each...this year, only one pair. They have friends who join them in the evenings when they wheel overhead, and, to our delight, swoop and dive across the ponds catching insects on the wing, along with their other friends, the swallows.

Chaerophyllum Hirsutum Roseum, Cow Parsley

Cow parsley is usually a plant of the wayside, but I like its habit and grow some in my nectar borders. I also have the garden cultivar - chaerophyllum hirsutum roseum - which has pale pink blossom. It needs to be in a mixed bed as it can easily take over if left in too big a space, but it pays its weight in gold as far as the bees and insects are concerned.

Ranunculus, Meadow Buttercup

Do you like butter? Again, because of happy childhood days spent making daisy and buttercup chains, I grow ranunculus beside my wild cornfield poppies. A garden, for me, has to contain dreams and evoke memories, making room for the wildflowers as well as the cultivars in order to create a sense of soul and romance. It must tell its own story.

Nectar Borders In The Back Garden

This photograph shows a section of the garden made up of nectar borders. But, without them, I would not have so many varieties of visiting bees, insects and birds, which, in turn, bring visiting mammals. I have often been asked which flowers are my favourites. If I must choose it is a toss-up between wild poppies and foxgloves. But, each flower in season is a favourite...so many hues, so much individuality, such a variety of perfumes, each with their own story.

Borage Officinalis, Borage

Another of my favourites is the borage. The wonderful blue, (though sometimes white or pink) five-petalled, star-shaped flowers hanging in profusion, the tall graceful way it grows, the hairy leaves...all are attractive to me, and so nectar-rich for the bees that beekeepers often grow this plant.

Cirsium Rivulare Atropurpureum, Ornamental Thistle

My cirsium grows between six and seven foot tall. It is a very elegant plant, very stately with amazingly large leaves, considering the thistle heads are relatively tiny. Again, the bees adore it, as you will see in the little video I have taken.

Papaver Orientalis, Oriental Poppies At The Stane Dyke Wall

Although we have fierce winds blowing across our open landscape, I love to stand at the fence and watch the wildlife across the field. Sometimes there are buzzards mewing overhead, or larks making my heart soar with their amazing songs. Perhaps that's why I love Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending so much. Barley is the main crop grown in the adjacent field...and I love to hear the wind through the barley and watch it making waves while the barley is still young enough to bend.

Lupins, Geraniums, Aquilegia

The lupins in this photo have the most exquisite perfume. I wish I could bottle its scent and open it on cold Winter days to remind me of summery June. Over the years I have grown so many varieties of aquilegias....and they seed all over the place, which is a bonus to me. They are so enduring and add their own magic to our cottage garden. I love their 'Granny's bonnets', as we call them hereabouts, and their form and foliage, which can vary between acid green and purple-green.

Yellow Flag Irises In Back Pond

Yellow flag irises, also known as Jacob's sword, are stately plants of wild ponds...and of our ponds too. Again, so reminiscent of my childhood days at my Granny's cottage, I couldn't bear to be without them, for, though they used to be a common sight in the wild, with so many of the farmers' ponds being drained for intensive farming methods, they are growing scarcer each year. One school of thought says they are the origin of the fleur-de-lis in heraldry.

Mixed Nectar Borders In Front Garden

These borders are in the front garden. One whole bed contains varieties of geraniums, which flower for months on end, and if cut back, return with a final flush in September. I find the geranium a 'must' as they are easy to look after being disease-free, and bloom for long periods of the Summer.

Rosa Glauca, Rose

Lastly, I have chosen to show you my rosa glauca, the foliage of which is a wonderful shade of grey-purple with purplish-red stems. I am always told they do not do well in exposed windy sites, but, for some reason, they do well for me. Apart from the attractive cerise-pink flowers, in Autumn they have unusual wine-red fruits which feed the birds. The photo is well worth enlarging to see all the amazing tones in the foliage....and to spy the sweet little insect on the flower. The birds eat the fruit and leave me many seedlings scattered around the garden. I pot them up and grow some for myself, some to sell at garden fayres and some to share with friends and fellow gardeners.

xxxxxxx

The little film below was taken over a few days in June, and is made up of many little videos. If you turn up the volume you will hear the wonderful birdsong and the buzzing of the bees, the winds blowing and cars passing by, as people go about their daily business. It lasts for nine and a half minutes, so, if it sticks a bit, please be patient. The music, which plays through twice, is Thais' Meditation by Massenet. Enjoy!

xxxxxxx

If you click to enlarge each photo, you will find when the photo was taken, and the botanical name as well as the common name of each plant.

Fancy A Spot Of Pond-Dipping?

In the months of April and May, the Barleycorn ponds are awash with golden cups of sunshine of the caltha palustris plant, more commonly known as marsh marigolds. In churches in medieval times, they were given in tribute to the Virgin Mary at Easter and were called Mary Gold. I grow them because they remind me of happy childhood days when my brother and I would take our nets and go pond-dipping and I would gather a little bunch of sunshine to take home to my Mum.

Although the lily flowers are not yet in bloom, I find the beautiful shapes and hues of the leaves so attractive. Covering roughly a third of each pond, they help to keep out the light which enables algae to grow. They also provide hiding places for the many creatures which live in the ponds.

Unlike their garden cousins which will devour fresh young shoots, the lymnaea stagnalis or great pond snails mostly tend to live on decaying plants, algae and debris in the pond, which makes them very useful. The two in this photo are foraging on the roots of a ranunculus plant which has come adrift from its mooring in the soil. They are greyish-brown in colour and around 60mm in length.

I find them fascinating to watch as they come part-way out of their shells to feed and often float upside down on the surface of the water as they go about their business acting as pond dustmen clearing up the rubbish and keeping everything clean and healthy. Because they absorb oxygen through their skin, they can live underwater for several months. I feel glad when I find a long string of their eggs under the leaves of aquatic plants because it is proof that they are thriving. In Winter they hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the ponds.

This tiny creature is a ramshorn snail and belongs to the family Planorbidae. There are many of these little snails in the ponds. Their shells are coiled into flat spiral discs. They are also vegetarian and graze on algae covering the plants, as this photo shows. They tend to grow to 18mm. What amazes me is the fact that all the creatures found their own way into the ponds.

If you are interested in looking at the creatures in more detail, click on each photo to get up close and personal. This photo shows the larva of the great diving beetle. They are voracious carnivores, feeding mainly on tadpoles and other insects - including their own brothers and sisters - which they grab with their pincer jaws. They look like scorpions as they keep their tails upright while swimming. They push their tails up out of the water to take in oxygen through an air hole in their tails.

This photo shows a pair of dytiscus marginalis, great diving beetles, at the breeding time in April. As it was a cloudy day, the water looks dark and murky. They are the adults of the larva in the previous photo. They actually pupate on land and then return to the water, though I have often had a fright when I have seen them flying as they look a bit like cockroaches.

The water boatman is hilarious to watch as it swims along upside down carrying a bubble of air on its abdomen. It has two pairs of legs- a short front pair, and a strong hind pair - which it paddles like oars. They grow to around 20mm in length. I would need an underwater camera to show you his large red eyes. They live on tadpoles and insects, and can eat fish too, though we have none in our ponds. The adults can fly and move between ponds.

Here we have a pair of Gerris lacustris, pond skaters. They are mating while resting on a lily pad. Normally, they are seen skating across the surface of the ponds. They are around 20mm long and move very quickly. If their bodies and legs did not have velvety hairs, they would sink through the water. Their diet consists of insects. I often see them jumping to avoid being eaten by predators.

At this time of year there are often wasps taking in water from the surface of the ponds. They are fetching water to cool and fan their nests. Birds, of course, use the ponds for drinking and bathing and often come in little groups. In fact, there is year-round activity of one kind or another at our watering-holes from visiting wildlife.

Over the years we have seen a huge increase in newt population in our ponds. The male in the photo is curled inside a red lily leaf. You might want to enlarge the picture to see him more clearly.

Spring is the best time to see them in the water as they live most of their life on land. Triturus vulgaris is the scientific name for the smooth or common newt. When they come to the surface to breathe, there is a little popping sound as they gulp air.

Depending on the sunshine and shade, the newts can appear to be black in colour. However they are actually pale brown or olive green. Both the males and females have orange bellies covered in black spots, though the females' are paler orange.

If you can get close enough to see, the males have fringed toes, which helps to distinguish them from the females. The males also have long wavy, rather than crested, backs and tails. They have tiny teeth to catch tadpoles and insects.

They breed in the ponds in Spring and are able to feast on frog tadpoles. They can lay around 400 eggs on the leaves of the waterplants. It takes around 10 weeks for their young to emerge as juveniles.

Adult newts can shed their skin once a week. Athough I have never seen any lying around, I have frequently seen casings of dragonflies. In late July they return to the land and become mainly nocturnal.

The frogs spawned one week earlier this year than in the previous three years. In spite of that, we had lots of frost and the ponds were partially frozen many days. As a result, the tadpoles hatched at the usual time.

When the sun's rays managed to penetrate the jelly, we noticed slight movement from some of the tadpoles, whereas the tadpoles in the frozen parts of the pond seemed in suspended animation.

It was interesting to watch different batches hatch and mature at different times. At first the jelly looked clear. As time went on it became green. I was fascinated seeing tails twitching, watching gills appear and finally legs.

At one point we had a writhing mass of taddies with gills, eyes and long tails, while, at the same time, there were also later batches still inside the spawn. Around this time I watched and waited for the newts to appear.

Sure enough I was not disappointed. Although the water was a dark green murky colour at this stage, you can still pick out the long, dark shape of the newt across the top of the photo. At this stage the tadpoles were coming up for air and leaving lots of bubbles on the surface of the pond.

The newt down the middle of this photo is extremely well camouflaged. There was still a loose jelly around the tadpoles at this stage and the newts would come swishing up from underneath the mass and grab some lunch.

Over the years I have been scattering forget-me-not seeds under the weeping birch tree outside our back door. Though there are so many pictures I could have shown you of how our garden looks at the moment - as opposed to what is happening in our ponds - choosing these little flowers over grander specimens was easy, for they have a simple beauty of their own and very much typify the Spring in our garden at Barleycorn.

xxxxxxx

The footage in the little video below was taken from the 3rd to the 12th April. There are six little videos joined together to show you the progress of the tadpoles. There is a little footage of newts amongst them towards the end of the video. Now that the tadpoles are swimming freely across the pond, it is difficult to catch sight of them.

Labels

Caltha Palustris, Marsh marigolds

Pond lilies

Lymnaea Stagnalis, Great Pond Snails

Planorbidae, Ramshorn Snail

Dytiscus Marginalis, Great Diving Beetle

Larva of Great Diving Beetle

Notonecta Glauca, Water Boatman

Gerris Lacustris, Pond skater

Vespula Vulgaris, Common Wasp

Triturus Vulgaris, Common Newt

Frogspawn

Tadpoles

Myosotis, Forget-me-nots