Several friends have commented that we
seem to be in autumn already. Well, it is September, and September in
the garden means that seed-heads are beginning to replace flowers as
the main centre of interest.
Actually there are plenty of flowers
left, and some new ones emerging, but the seed heads are very
splendid. None more so, to my way of thinking, than Rumex, the
Dock family. I did check the flower book to see if ours might be
Scottish Dock, but it says they only grow on or near the shores of
Loch Lomond.
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| Dock seed-heads |
Urtica dioica, Common nettle, is
one of those plants where the seeds show them at their best. Those
tumbling cascades of pale green are worth putting up with a few
stings. It would be nice to report lots of caterpillars on the
nettles, showing that butterflies are active. But I really do think
this has been our worst ever year for butterflies in the garden. I
did see a Polygonia c-album, Comma,
about a mile away but in the garden in August we have had to make do
with the occasional White.
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| Common nettle |
I have
carried on cutting back in a cautious way. The slow speed is partly
caused by laziness and partly by a desire to leave what beasts and
mini-beasts need for food and shelter. My caution was rewarded today
as I strimmed the “meadow” area. In theory my actions now imitate
the farmer who turns cattle into his hay-field after mowing, to graze
and trample. In practice I go very carefully, and so I saw three
little frogs – this year's babies – hopping for cover. Best of
all I saw a Triturus
helviticus, Palmate newt.
I was allowed to pick him up for a photograph.
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| Palmate newt |
I do
hope that the “lack” of newts compared with a few years ago is
merely because there are far more places for them to hide, I do think
the numbers crashed here after the very cold winter of a few years
back (walking on the frozen canal, I remember), so it would be good if they
were building up again.
The
numerous thickets and undergrowth sometimes benefit foxes. I can do
without them taking up residence, but I was pleased to see a big one
the other morning, sauntering across the bottom of the garden as I
first opened the shutters. Grey squirrels are also welcome only in
small doses. Our local one is finding ways of eating fat-balls even
when they are put in the squirrel-proof feeder. They do look very
sweet.
One of
the many great pleasures of a wild-life garden is that children can
experience nature straight out of the back door. I have cut a secret
passage-way in the undergrowth so that my grandson can push
through to the back of the pond.
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