My Wild-life Garden Chapter 9: July 17th

Last night we had a big storm of rain. The Royal and Ancient, just up the coast, was so flooded that the start of Day 2 of the Open Golf Championship was delayed by three hours. Here there was no flood, but the half of the long grass that is still uncut was laid flat. Also, good, there is a bit more water in the pond. When cutting back I sometimes find a weevil has crawled onto me. The snails love this weather (less good) but I did come across another baby frog. I have also been inspired by Springwatch UK to make a hole under the back gate suitable for hedgehogs. You never know your luck.

Bee on Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum)

There are all sorts of mini-beasts around. I’ve certainly seen honey bees and at least two sorts of bumblebee. Something I never saw gave me two savage bites on the arm. There are hover-flies, as well. I have always liked them.

Hover-fly on the hedge

I mentioned harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) in my last post, but did not have a decent photo. I hope I have now put that right. They were grown from seed and there are maybe half a dozen plants now scattered about.

Harebells

I also mentioned the wild-flower seeds we gave out a church, and have a photo of how mine are doing. They pale into insignificance beside the superb large, brilliant bed in the Royal Botanic Gardens. If you are in Edinburgh it is worth visiting just for that (and for lots and lots of other reasons).

Wild-flower annuals

The hedge, the long grass and the pond are perhaps the three things that make the wild-life garden a bit different from a conventional garden. When I was starting the hedge, nearly 30 years ago, I gathered a few seeds at random from one of my favourite lanes in the Lake District. From this came a very slow-growing but tough climber, which had me mystified, till my sister happened to visit in summer at at once named it: Viburnum opulus, Guelder rose. Perhaps one day it will flower.

Guelder rose

The main pond does need a bit of space – I wish it were bigger. But there is also the baby-bath pond. It is used by frogs and newts, not to mention various insects. It has a couple of bought “exotics” in it, for it is not in the wild garden proper. It also is served by the cheapest possible solar-powered fountain (about £7.00), which I think is just enough to stop total stagnation. There are oxygenating plants below the surface.

The little pond

 As always I shall be delighted if people whose botany is better than mine (not difficult) correct my identifications.