h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, , from going from having a small patio and a small back garden , I now have to look after a good sized front garden 30’x20’ and to the rear a lower patio 30’x 15’, which then leads on to a 40’ x 30’ rear garden .
Both gardens have lawns which were all redesigned last year and now have interesting curves which allow for deeper borders and are more pleasing to the eye .
I too have arthritis, I found out when I had to come off all my pain killers for awhile, I suddenly found that my hands and knees ached all the time too. My girlfriend used to laugh at me in a morning as I have a ritual of having to wiggle my fingers to get them going each morning and those first few steps out of bed , well, lets say from her perspective , they must look a tad funny.
We have no daffs open as yet, we only started to establish a presence of bulbs , 2 years ago and then I disturbed them when I redid all the borders last year.
We have a nice arrangement of false daffs in the kitchen, the other half took a fancy to them when we went around our local garden centre. My girlfriend caught her mum watering them the other day , only goes to show how real they look..
I too love photography, I used to be the manager of a photographic shop many many s ago, you can tell how long ago it was , cause we were still selling single 8 gauge cine cameras, how time fly’s hey.
I t is so nice to look back during the winters months at all those lovely moments you capture on film or on your digital camera, we have a record of photographs of the garden that we have hung on the stairs, its so nice to look back at them as you pass them during the day.
I think I did see a programme about a young women trying to convince councils etc to convert grassed areas to a more wild , insect friendly areas.
For the last 2 years the garden has been laid out with more tradition bedding, a lot grown from seed, I had a disaster last year , Id invested a lot of time into preparing the ground, getting the greenhouse ready and loved the time in the kitchen with a nursing seedlings and potting them on. All was going well, each day I would potter down, to check on them, when one morning as I walked across the lawn to the greenhouse I was met by a blackened greenhouse, the wicks in the paraffin heater had started sooting. Everything was covered in thick soot, I will admit I cried , to see all that loving time ruined. Over 30 different trays of seeded bedding, all my s( 10 types), pumpkins, courgette, marrows, cucumbers, all my 3 inch pots of potted up bedding, every herb you could think of and much, much more were ruined, I remember bringing it all out onto the lawn and trying to salvage some of it, I could not start from scratch as it was too late on in the Spring , so the lot had to be purchased from the garden centre.
I digressed, that programme, has influenced me this year as I am sowing meadow/ wild/ bee friendly plants straight into the two front beds that lead you into the back garden this year, there is another reason too ,that because as I mentioned earlier, I am behind this year, as this decorating I have had to do, is stopping me from doing my usual sowing etc.
The garden was established, boxed , predicable, straight lines, that to say it had defined borders with some mature shrubs positioned and a few perennial plants dotted here and there.
My girl friend was unsure of my pedigree as a gardener when I unleashed my plans for her garden, I think after the two years, I’ve known her , and all the redesigning that has occurred, she knows that her garden is in safe hands.
So for the last 2 years , yes, it has had a lot a annuals used it but we are very slowly building a base of permanent plants now. I have got some plants on the go , they are on the lounge windows sill at the mo, as it south facing, there all thumb pots of mixed fuchsias, petunias and geraniums which I use in the many containers that I pot up each year.
There is so, so much to do, a huge amount of repotting of mixed mature herbs, hosta's and previously potted herbaceous/ perennial plants, all the hanging and tubs that currently supporting winter pansies have to be changed also.
I had some of the walls rendered to the rear of the house around the patio, and I still have to put the final coat of paint on them( a nice country cream colour, makes it feel warm and homely now), then I have to mount all the lovely ornate figures and T light holders and butterflies etc that the girlfriend keeps on buying everything we go around a garden centre.
There is a lot to do but I love doing it, and when we hit mid July and it all falls into place and smell gorgeous , ones does mind all the effort that went in to it.
What are you up to at the mo and what have you chosen for your bee friendly plot.

Wow, you have been busy. It sounds like you have got the perfect plot of garden to turn into you own masterpiece. I have a few seeds growing nicely on the kitchen windowsill, though my eryngiums havent germinated at all. I'm trying some nicotiana langsdorfii this year, purely because they are unusual. They attract moths in the evening, so i may be able to photograph a few of those. There is also a perennial salvia, some trifolium (bees love it) and a perennial sunflower (helianthus maximillion)
For the past couple of year i've been replanting one of my borders. This year i'm extending the width and introducing a curve, so i can have more plants My son-in-law should be coming over later in the week to dig it for me.
The bee flowers are a mixture of annuals i bought. There is Shirley poppy, cosmos picotee, coreopsis unbelievable, cornflower, ammi, corn marigold and rudbeckia. Also i'm planting some Vipers bugloss (echium vulgare) and phacelia tacenticifolia. Hopefully that will be a spectacular show and alive with bugs and bees.
My manager at work is the national dahlia browing champion, so i give him my dahlia tubers to grow. This year i have three single flowering species which should look nice.
I'm on a weeks holiday untill Saturday. I was hoping to get some stuff done in the garden, but thats not going to happen. I was taken to hospital last week with an arthritis flare-up and now my wrists are pretty useless for the time being. I keep trying to push it and do a few things, so i might be able to get out there for a while tomorrow. (fingers crossed)
Oh my god, i can't imagine how devastated you must have been with your greehouse disaster, i know if it was me i'd be gutted. Then the added expense of having to buy in plants too. Have you started off any veg seed for this year?
There is a website for the lady that did the bees and butterflies programme. Thats where i bought some of my seed. There is a page with plants for pollinaters that lists losts of plants for bees. I'll find the name a post it to you next time if you like.
If you fancy a browse of some of my photos you can find them here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jen-may/

I better get off this pc now as my daughter will be here soon.
Have a good day.

Hi , the last two years have been very good colourful seasons, my neighbour , keeps on pulling my leg and asking “when is it open to the public”, we have parallel drives , so she gets to share the view too. Her friends that visit her, keep on saying to her “ ask that man what that is there, will you”, its nice that folk enjoy it too.
I positioned small troughs along and on top of the dividing drive wall, planted Sweet William, Nasturtiums, Livingston daisies, dwarf stock and of course lots of night scented stocks were interplanted amongst them all. The mesembryanthemums were a blaze ,benefiting from almost, a full day of sun, the Sweet William and dwarf stock gave fragrance during the day.
The Nasturtiums nicely dropped down the walls and on a evening, the night scented stocks took your breath away.
Last year the only thing that did not germinate was my Sea Holly’s , I d planned to use them this year, I might have to get them mail order this year as they don’t seem to sell them in our local nurseries.
Your choice of bee flowers should work well. I am fond of Cosmos too, its
daisy-like flowers throughout the summer are a joy to see, mine grew a tad too tall last year , all that feed I gave them, I think.
I grew tobacco plants last year, mid border I positioned them, the multi coloured red ones lasted for ages but I will admit the yellow variety did not work too well, they didn’t have a strong enough presence.
Decorating is on course and I might get chance to enjoy a bit of this sunshine were currently having, later on this week, as I will be having a Reveal implant fitted in my chest on Thursday, so a days rest may be required.
As for veg, to say no, I will have to buy them from the garden centre and then grow it on, last year I had beans and peas on the go by now, my house was a wash with trays of this, that and the other on the go. I use the side of the house for my veg, , ornamental fruits and s, as it get a lot of sun , there all container grown.
Had a look at the photos , they are exceptional,, what camera do you have.
Well as time is rushing by , I will sign off for now.

Funny you should have had the same problem with sea holly (eryngium) as i have. I wonder if the seed does'nt keep and needs to be sown fresh from the pod.
It's nice when people compliment you on your garden and choice of plants. Where i live no one can see my garden unless they are visiting my neighbour as my garden is hidden from the front of the property. I like it though, means i get to potter out there without interuption.
I have some nasturtiums for this year, i will sow them direct in April.
What is a 'reveal implant'? It almost sounds like a little window
There is nothing like the taste of home grown fruit, especially soft fruits.

I spent half an hour outside yesterday, it wasn't very warm but the daffodils didn't seem to mind. They are all growing and opening quickly now. My Dracunculus has eight shoots poking out the ground and my monster foxtail lily is coming on too. Last year the flower spike was 8ft tall, it was amazing.
My camera is a nikon D3000, it's one of the best thing i've ever bought. I have a macro lens for it, which i use almsot all the time and a 500mm lens which i don't use that often. I had a priivate lesson from a photographer last year, he taught me a hole heap of things which improved my technique. I just wish i had bought the camera before i went to Canada, i could have got much better photos of my holiday.
I better go as i have to tidy my shed today my water metre has broke in there so it's being replaced Thursday. Right now they would'nt be able to get anywhere near it for the pots and rubbish accumulated from last year.
Have a good day.

Hi, yes, it was disappointing, the Sea Holly’s did not germinate but on saying that I would have lost them when the greenhouse turned black with soot.
I will make a special effort this year to try securing some, as they are very architectural and having that lovely smokey blue colour about them.
I m fond of nasturtiums, they remind me of my childhood, I used to eat the leaves, they have a pleasant peppery tang to them if I remember correctly.

A Reveal Implant is a device that is surgical placed in your chest and monitors your heart, I unfortunately have to take high blood pressure tablets and Beta blocker to keep my ticker calm, it does like to through wobblies every so often and this device will record these episodes.

I agree, home grown veg ticks all the right buttons, it tastes better, it’s fresh and there’s that lovely satisfaction that you grown it.

My girlfriend has taken some time of work, she says I’ve a lot on and wants to help. She worked like a small army in the garden today, cutting the grass, collecting up winters debris, trimming the odd shrub (we have acquired some new additions last year, courtesy of our neighbours, some buddleia have taken from seed in the corner, the most beautiful purple in colour, so these got cut down to there 5 bud from ground) and tidying the borders. She’s done a wonderful job, whilst I undercoated for 6 hours in doors.
Very good choice of camera, you use your Marco lens very confidently and credit where credits due, your photos are excellent, that bit of tuition obviously has been of some use to you.
Hope all goes well with the water meter.
I’m painting ceilings tomorrow, whilst my girlfriend is looking forward to another day outdoors.

I might have another go with the sea holly as i still have some seed left. I'm going to try some stratification (putting them in the fridge) for two weeks. Them bring them into the warm and see if that triggers them to germinate. Nasturtiums remind me of my childhood too, not because i ate them but because they attacted caterpillars. I don't think i would want to eat the leaves, though i have tried the flowers. Apparently the fresh seed can be pickled as a substitute fro capers...if you like that sort of thing.
I'm on blood pressure tablets too, just another tablet to take with the shed load i take every day
Six hours of undercoating does not sound fun at all and ceilings are even worse! Still it will look nice when it's done eh!
Off to tesco today and some other stuff i have to do in town. Like you i'd rather be in my garden.
Have a good day.

Hi, hope your ok, I went and over did it a little, doing the ceiling, could not sleep prior to the operation on Thursday due to pain.
Not to labour the point but, what they said would not hurt as a routine op, did, big style.
Unsure as how that leaves my schedule of decorating now, might have to rest this chest of mine now.
Hope your chilling of the Sea Holly seeds works, remember there Perennials and will most probably establish themselves the first year after sowing and flower the second. They are root stock there after and don’t do well at seeding themselves as an annual plant does.
Your right the Nasturtiums are a Cabbage White butterfly magnet and shortly after a visit end up with huge amounts of caterpillars on them, if it’s not them it’s the dreaded greenfly.
The girl friend bought some big 48 inch tubs today, in between coats of emulsion drying the other day; we had a walk in the garden and agreed to move some plants.
Last year she wanted a Wisteria planting up the side of the house, which I duly did for her, after attaching the necessary trellis work to the wall for it to grow up. I t took off big style, as we planted it in a 48 inch pot and had Livingstone daisies in there too.
The two things that are going to join it , along the long side wall of the house, is a Clematis that I put in a container by the garage ( I cannot remember its name) last year, which has grown very well and needs more room now , hence the bigger tub.
And a Grape plant, which we got one solitary grape off last year, in the other tub.
The grape was given to my girlfriend by her late dad, she had kept it semi bonsaied by growing it in too smaller container, then I re-potted it twice and on the last occasion it just grew for king and country, I think it will do well down on the drive with all the sun it will get, grapes hopefully just out the side door, Yum.just a few more jobs to add to the list

Hope your meter moving went .

Hi there. How are you feeling today? Rest is the best thing you can do after the procedure. Though if you're anything like me, you won't rest for long.
I had a stroke of luck on Wednesday, there is a stall on our market that sells plants. I often look there to see if there is anything that catches my eye (i'm not in the least bit loyal to the garden centre I work at ) Anyway he had some eryngiums on his stall at 90p each, so of course i bought one. It's not the gigantium that i wanted, but it will do for a start. I bought some verbascums of the same stall a few weeks back and they are already twice the size as when i bought them...result!
Yesterday my son-in-law came over to dig a new bed for me and put up an arch over my gate. I have a rampant clematis that i usually train along the fence each year, this year it's going over the arch and should look a picture when it blooms. It was a glorious day here yeasterday, so i spent the afternoon just sitting in the garden and listening to the birds. I even saw two butterflies, a Brimstone and a tortoishell
Today i have a load of stuff to do before returning to work tomorrow. I best get started i think.
Have a good day and remember to rest up.

Hi, my Sciatic pain has resided as I had a day off from decorating (now made a new schedule) and my chest is very sore, with quite a large bruise developing.
Thank you for asking, .
I’m most probably likened to you, like to be up and about, doing things, with plenty of to keep one going.
Well done for getting yourself a Sea Holly, I found some on the internet, sold as bare root stock, a tad expensive, at £8.95 for 2 roots, might shop around further before I commit to buying them.
We’ve been around our local garden centre today, bought the following for theBee bed, Emila javanica, Echinops rito, Myosotis sylvatica, Cosmos sulphurous, Godetia, Californian poppy(single mix), Cosmos(sensation mixed), Poached egg plant and a pack of mixed annuals (Maggie may).I think they should have enough to have a go at there
Arch over the gate has a nice charm to it and will make for a good focal point feature, especially when your Clematis is in full bloom.
My girlfriend is very knowledgeable about the ’s, she likes to see them in the garden, but we had more Cabbage whites last year due to the Nasturtiums I planted.
I’m cross lining later on today; hoping to get it done whilst Ali goes shopping, then it will be a down at the local to rest.

Good morning. How is the soreness? easing any?
You know i don't think £8.95 is too expensive for 2 roots, depending on size of course and if there is p&p on top of that.
I think you have a good choice of seeds there for the bees and some lovely colours too. I've just split my Echinops for the second time, it does make a good display late in the season. I also leave the seed heads on for winter interest and as a hibernation home for ladybirds.
I returned to work yesterday after a weeks off, it was hard going with my wrists still sore. I was surprised at how busy we were considering it rained all day. We start later on Sunday, so it does'nt seem such a slog today.
Did you manage to get the cross lining sorted?
I better go and get my stuff ready for work now. Have a good day.

Hi, the soreness is easing, thank you, I have a rather interesting multicolour chest due to the bruising .
I might buy them, the price doesn’t seem that bad after looking around, I think the Sea Holly is such a lovely architectural plant and I will find a good spot for them.
I’m going to abandon my usual attention to colour scheming and just run a little a riot with the colours this year in the garden, these two new beds of / bee beds are very much a detachment from my usual organised planting schemes
You have my sympathies, that returning to work feeling, is always a shock to the system, especially if you have had a good week off resting and working in a garden centre may seem idyllic to some folk but I know how you feel. This time of year it is very demanding, busy and tiring, not a simple case of just moving a few plants around like some would think, I did almost 30 years working in retail, most of it as a garden centre manager, loved every minute of it but my back now tells the story of all that hard lifting and work.
Yes, after 7 hours, I eventually got the cross lining done and now it’s drying, it looks to be, not too a bad a job.
We spent some time in the garden on Sunday before we took my girlfriends mum out for a tasty Italian.
We cleared the greenhouse out, the adjacent gravelled plot, cut our side of a rather large leylandii fence, pruned the roses back, tidied one or two flower beds, put our herb collection( I dug them up and put them into individual large pots last Autumn) into the sun, positioned the Hosta’s on the patio and then gathered up all the contains/ pots around the garden and put them on the drive, so as to empty ready for there new plants.
Today I have one wall to emulsion then we are off to buy some new wall/ceiling lights.
What have you got planned for this week, did you get any rain this weekend; we had a good thunderstorm on Saturday.
Have a good day

Hi
You accomplished more than i did yesterday I spent most of the day wishing i was at home doing stuff. Considering the weather, we were very busy, something to do with mother's day i think.
I never really have a colour theme running in my garden, it's a case of if there is a gap and i see a plant i like, in it goes regardless of whether it clashes with the adjacent colours or not.It's always worked for me.
I don't know why people get the idea that working in a garden centre is relaxed and laid back, if only! These days i'm pretty much confined to the shop as my hands are not as good and i can't lift. I much preferred it when i was outside, then I could hide from customers and just get on with what ever i was working on.
My plans this week don't include much garden time. I don't work Wednesdays or Thursdays, but i do have to fit in everything else on those days. This week it's a doctors appointment Wednesday, followed by shopping. In the afternoon i have a chap coming from Virgin media to install a new modem. Thursday i have to wait in for my injections to be delivered, do some housework and with any luck a bit of time in the garden....if i have a energy by then It's looking better for the weekend with a spare day Saturday to do some more interesting things.
It rained most of the day Saturday, which is good as we really need it here. I'm in one of the areas that now has a hose pipe ban. Lastnight we had a frost
Beeter time to leave for work soon.
Have a good day.

Hi
I like to keep busy, it keeps my mind active and off all the pain. I’m at the s today, I’ve got a horrible feeling that my left hip is about to give in.
I had a major car accident some 26 years ago, most of my right side took the impact, the surgeon on duty at A&E did a good job of putting me back together but since then my left hip has had to take most of the work load since.
I didn’t manage to finish emulsioning that wall yesterday, only got the first base coat on, it’s a very nice colour,I've got a bit of catching up to do today.
I’m fitting all the electric sockets and switches prior to emulsioning the rest of the dining room and conservatory (different colour).
I much preferred to be outdoors, there’s nothing better than sunshine, fresh air and some bird songs to keep you going.
Hope you week pans out.
The thumb pots are doing really well on the lounge window sill, growing quite strong and not leggy, not long before they will need re-potting, I will put them in 3 inch pots next, we have about 50 now and no doubt a few more by time I’m done.
It’s going to be a very dry summer and I have a concern about watering this year, if we are hit with a hosepipe ban, the garden/ containers need too much water. I can see us losing a few plants along the way. Were on a water meter , that doesn’t bother me, as it a price you pay for having a lovely garden but having no water spare for the plants , worries me, given all the love and attention we put into our plot.
I think more water butts will have to be must this year.
Have a good day

Hi
Sorry to hear about your hip. Are you on the list for a replacement? I don't much care for this getting old lark, seems you body gives out long before your'e ready.
I must repot my seedlings this week, before they start to get too leggy or just give up altogether. It's a lovely day here, the sun is shining and i'm stuck inside waiting for the virgin media engineer.
I'm a bit concerned about the watering of my plants too. I have already purchased some spikes to go into plastic bottles to as i can give a little drink to my special plants. It should go straight to the roots rather than sit on top of the soil evaporating. We'll see how that pans out. I have a water metre too, it's saved me a fortune over the years.
Did you get the rest of your painting done?

Have a good day.

Hi, this is a newest development, did not get in to see the yesterday (no appointments) but saw the today.
I’m being sent for another MRI scan, this one focusing on my hip, plus I poised them with some questions and require reports on my condition, that they have and I now need.
To be very honest, I was looking forward to being in my 50’s and given my circumstances, the age bit did not bother me, it was a reality, I found myself unfortunately having, in having to rediscover myself.
After bringing up 2 families and finding out, that after 30 odd years of working hard, loving, caring, providing, I then end up homeless, jobless, friendless and very poor.
It seemed (out of this unveiling mess)as if, it was my last chance at life, standing on my own two feet and trying to be happy again.
Then as you say, that “getting old lark”, got in my way but as I say “onwards and upwards”.
I’ve found it difficult over the last two years with my seedlings too, I think, I’ve sowed them too early and the lack of good strong daylight has not helped. That’s why I buy the thumb pots now, as they have gone through that awkward stage of damping off and potentially getting too leggy, due to poor growing conditions.
The spikes are an effective way of watering, as you say, as they administer water nearer the roots but are selective and a tad labour expensive.
YEH, I’m nearly there. I had a big push today and caught back up to my original schedule.
Were glossing tomorrow, we have one wall to paper on Friday (we cross lined the others to get a better finish to my emulsioned walls), the laminate floor gets laid over the weekend and we are paying to have the dining room carpet laid on Monday.
Then on Tuesday the house is tidied and every thing goes back where it belongs, then at last, I can try to do, what I love most, GARDEN.

Morning.
Did you manage to get everything done that you wanted to?
II had a productive day yesterday....and overdid things so my wrists were very painful lastnight . There not too bad this morning, so i'm quite pleased about that. I got all my seedlings transplanted and have now put them into a kind of cold frame. It's just a cheap one i bought from Wilkinsons, but it should do the job nicely. I also got the edges of one border trimmed, by that time i knew i was pushing things so left it at that.
I have the weekend off, so i'm going to push it a bit more and get my bee flower seeds planted, along with the vipers bugloss which is going to be my favourite plant this year.
It does seem like you have had a rough ride of things, still you have ended up in a better place than some, so all credit to you.
By the way, do you have any holly in your garden?
Better get going and finish making my lunch for work. We have a meeting this morning about a possible pay rise It will be the first one in 3 years if we get it.
Have a good day.

Hi,, where still on schedule,just although I could not find the wall paper paste today and ended up hanging 2 radiators back onto the walls instead.
We bought some paste later on, so that last feature wall gets papered, very early Saturday morning.
Then we lay the laminate and hopefully we will be in the pub for dinnertime with a well deserved, planning our next moves (which hopefully will consist of putting things back into place).
On saying that though, we still have not found two wall lights and a ceiling light, that we both like yet, I would have hoped to have had them in place by now , so we will have to be a tad careful when we eventually come to fit them.
Good luck with the seedlings please be careful of those unexpected frosts.
You will be a week in front of us with the /Bee bed sowing, as by time I get done decorating it will be next weekend when we get round to doing that.
Yes there has been a change of circumstance, I met my girlfriend in the pub, I wasn’t looking for a relationship but Cupid bless him, pointed his arrow in my direction and the rest is history.
There was one holly in the garden 2 years ago a dark green leafed Aquifolium, I treated myself to a Golden Queen a year later, I had no means of taking my collection from my old house, I past it some time ago and was horrified as to what they had done to the garden. All those lovely ilex and other assorted Acers that I grew on from small twigs had all been taken up, to be replaced by gravel. I can only assume the new owners were not gardeners.

Hope all goes well at your meeting and enjoy your weekend off and don’t over do it.

Hi
So, did you get it finished and have lunch down the pub? <ale?
I can never understand why people would choose gravel or concrete over shrubs and greenery, it's a shame that some don't appreciate plants at all.
I had a great day in the garden yesterday. I got the bee bed sown and some other seeds sown. Did a bit of weeding and then tooks some photos of bee-fly's which are fascinating fuzzy flies. It was nearly 2pm before i realised.
I'm paying for all that time outside today, my wrists don't want to work at all.
I have my family coming for dinner today, a good excuse to do a roast and i'll have help getting it in and out of the oven.
We have foggy weather this morning, hopefully it will burn off so the little-un can go in the garden after dinner. He loves being outside and i'm keen to teach him all about bugs and plants.
Have a good day and enjoy your sunday.

Hi
YEAH, got up early Saturday morning, did the wallpapering then set about laying the laminate flooring. By 3ish it was done, so was my back but half an hour laid on my back, a good long hot shower, a nice change of clothes and to the pub we went, triumphant in our achievements.
On Sunday we returned all the surplus items, to the various retailers, which were not used and bought amongst other things the lights for the dining room.
We spent the rest of Sunday in the garden, cleaned the patio furniture down and armed with the Sunday papers, some pleasant and a few nibbles we enjoyed the sunshine
The only place we have gravelled is a spot adjacent to the greenhouse in the corner of the garden, it makes for a little kind of court yard area, it’s a sun trap and I have grown amongst other things there, Giant pumpkins, its normally used as a over spill for the greenhouse and the odd and ornamental plants are grown there.
Well done for getting your seeding done, it would be nice to compare photos of the results, later on, if that’s .
My girlfriend was amused by a rather large Hoverfly on Sunday afternoon, it seemed quite happy darting here and there but returning to the table and seemed to be enjoying the sun too.
You cannot beat a good Sunday roast and family round to make for a lovely Sunday, trust you had a good time.
Its nice when the wee ones take an interest in nature, we found the caterpillar of a Elephant Hawk moth on the lawn, late on in the year, about 2 years ago, seemed strange to find it there, our friends and the kids would often asked about it when they came around, as we saved it and called it Elly
It was fed on copious amounts of Rosebay willow herb and eventually turned into a chrysalis. We kept it in a cool dark place; often taking a look to make sure it was .
I remember phoning my girlfriend at work the morning Elly emerged; we let him go one late spring evening. He did a few laps of the garden, had a rest on the Red robin plant at the end of the garden, and then went on his merry way.
It was truly a lovely experience.
I have another busy week this week, a bit of catching up to do on the more routine things and the odd snagging to do before I’m let loose on the garden,

Have a good week.

Hi.
You must be really chuffed at getting all that decorating done. Especially as the weather has improved so much. Now time to potter in the garden eh!
I've had a couple of really stressful day, i need to get a different job!
I have to go for a fasting blood test this morning, so with no or breakfast to start my day, i'm not at my happiest.
I love hoverflies, they are fascinating creatures. Did you know there are over 50 species of hoverfly in the UK? Doesn't seem possible does it!
The Sunday roast was yummy and i even got help with the dishes We took the little-lun in the garden as he loves it out there, then could'nt get him back in. We had to bribe him with seeds to take home and plant before he would come inside.
I would love to compare results of our efforts later on, if the seeds ever germinate. With this dry weather, i might well be behind you with the bee bed.
Those hawkmoth caterpillars are impressive, I often get a poplar hawkmoth caterpillar on my birch tree, they hang upside down like a leaf if you disturb them.
Right better get on and to the hospital.
Have a good day.