Into July - In the Garden

  I can't believe it is July already. Over the last few days it hasn't felt like July at all.  So cold and windy. 

Below are a few photos taken in the garden over the last few days.  We've had lots of lovely visitors. Mostly birds this time.

 Male Bullfinch

 Female Bullfinch

 Two of the little group of Long-Tailed Tits who occasionally visit to feed and use the bird bath.

 Robin having a bath

Blackbird enjoying the berries on the Amelanchier tree

Wood Pigeon and Herring Gull tolerating each other.

Frog - glad we still have at least one in the garden.

Fox - I had to take the photo quickly and the bird feeders were in the way.

New Flowers have been appearing

Honeysuckle

 Rose

Hydrangea 

Hollyhock

Dahlia

Poppy - yesterday it raised its head and this morning it had begun to unfurl its petals.  I took a photo straight away in case the petals blow off in the wind.  Although windy it is at least dry this morning.

In the garden crops are beginning to grow

Potatoes growing in a supermarket bag

Tomatoes in the greenhouse, there are two or three varieties in all.  I think there is a plum tomato and a Tigrella, plus either Gardener's Delight or Moneymaker.

The first ripened tomatoes - Mini Munch, these were from a packet of seeds for children with Mr Men on the packet.

The first raspberries - only a handful so far.  They have gone into a summer pudding with strawberries from the garden and some black cherries from Kent, bought from the local Co-op.

Fox and Fungi

It's a dreary, wet and windy day today. Not a day to be out and about, no chance of a longer walk.  The garden is very wet and the grass squelchy underfoot. Many garden jobs have had to be abandoned until hopefully dryer, brighter weather returns.

A very wet female fox visited this morning. Apologies for the photos they were taken through rain spattered windows.

She looks quite sorry for herself.  This weather must be awful for the foxes, I hope their den hasn't flooded and is still cosy and warm. 

 On a recent walk around the lake at Trentham we spotted lots of fungi.

I know the ones above and below are Shaggy Ink Caps

  but I'm not sure of any others.

The ones above were interesting and seemed to be spread around where there had perhaps been a large tree where the ground was now grassed over.

There were masses of these all over the grassed area in between the flat ones above and the ink caps.

I was fascinated by the shapes they made.

Lots of holly berries bright red against the dark green leaves.

Lords and Ladies or Cuckoo Pint.

There were still lots of cheerful, bright yellow Rudbekia flowers lining the paths.

It's a day for snuggling down with a good book.

The two on the right have been read and enjoyed the one on the left was collected from the library this morning so I'm looking forward to starting that one later this evening.

I wrote this post yesterday but for some reason it didn't publish so I have tried again today.  On a better note the rain seems to have stopped for the moment but the garden is still very wet.

In the Garden

  After the much needed rain the garden now needs some warmer weather, perhaps  a little more sunshine and it seems that we are going to get that over the next few days. 

 The sparrows, goldfinches, blackbirds and robins are in a feeding frenzy at the moment flitting backwards and forwards between the feeders and the hedge, cramming their beaks with as many nibbles and sunflower hearts as they can. 

Squirrels with ragged tails have been running around the garden looking harrased and the female fox seeks peace and quiet in the garden away from her cubs.

She could see me with my camera up in the bedroom window.

Yesterday and today we have been able to get into the garden, it has been lovely in the sunshine just to potter.  Below are some of the flowers and plants I spotted as I went around the garden weeding here and there - mostly dandelions that had gone to seed.  We'd left the bright yellow flowers as long as possible for the bees.

Lily of the Valley

Bugle

Aquilegia, also known as Granny's Bonnet.

 

Clematis Montana

Strawberries

Broad Beans

Wild Garlic or Ramsons

Ceanothus

Wallflowers

Peony

Perennial Cornflower

Have you been spending time in the garden over the last few day?