Over the past few days the butterflies have been feasting on the allotment buddleia bushes. From top down we have: Red Admiral, Comma, and Small Tortoiseshell. In the teasels we have assorted bumbles:
This morning when I arrived at the plot, there were insects everywhere. It was also very hot, so I was glad to take a break from sieving compost and wander round, capturing some of the busy foragers. Having had a nice little play with my Canon Ixus, I then went back to work. I harvested my onions, hung them in the sun to dry, watered the polytunnel jungle, fought the tomato vegetation into submission, discovered a neat little cauliflower out in the raised beds, picked French beans, courgettes, plucked a few beetroot to make borsch and a lettuce for our neighbours, sowed some golden beetroot, carrots and Florence fennel, then staggered home across the field whither I arrived a very dishevelled and grubby person. Back at the homestead, he who is building a shed in the back garden had erected the fourth wall to his edifice, or at least the framework for same. And having laboured all morning and well beyond lunchtime, we then retreated to the cool of the kitchen for a restoring cup of tea. And there you have it, Monday chez Farrell – overheated but happy.
Am linking this to Jo’s Monday Walk which (as ever) is totally fabulous this week. Please trot over there for a longer walk than mine to the allotment, and also for some very lovely candlelit scenes around the streets of Lagoa.
Tish Farrell 
Great photographs!
Many thanks, Kendall.
Welcome!
Excellent! The bees that tease… And the butterflies that flutter by… Happy to see you have a healthy insect population,Tish 😊
Yes lots and lots. Must remember to take part in the Big Butterfly Count that’s going on at the mo – details on google.
Sadly, I rarely see a butterfly in my neck of the woods…..
That’s a shame.
A great shame….
You’re as busy as the bees. Wonderful photos.
Nice to be compared to the bees 🙂
This is lovely! Lots of bugs at Kinver today too, especially in the meadow where we were pulling up ragwort.
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Ah ragwort – saw more of it at the allotment today. Must alert the chairman. We were both labouring today then 🙂
Beautiful!
Cheers, Kate.
Bless you, hon! What a lovely surprise 🙂 🙂 Much appreciated because you’re as busy as those bees you keep providing for, Tish. Wonderful close ups! We actually achieved heat up here in the north east too today, but I was much lazier, and lolled in the garden admiring the flutterers, after my walk, of course. 🙂
Good to have a lounging moment, especially in this heat. Glad to send you some more flutterers 🙂
Wonderful pictures and sounds like a great little garden. Thanks for sharing your day.
Thanks for calling in 🙂
We have also had more butterflies this year than I ever remember including some I’ve never seen before. Is it the wet weather?
David Attenborough was positing that it was the lack of cold wet weather in the winter. But then who knows? We’ve hardly had rain here in months – just a few specific downpours so it’s dry, dry, dry. Lots of good flowers though. I think they’re all getting on with it superfast, and the insects are benefitting.
I love seeing and hearing about bees and butterflies, Tish. I think buddleia is what we call butterfly bush, and ours is starting to flower. I planted a small garden of perennials this year, including some butterfly-attracting plants and they’re all doing quite well. It’s a joy to see them every morning and to see butterflies there. A few days ago, we were walking around the small lake near our house and I spotted at least three monarchs, which also made me very happy.
janet, who’s having tea right now as well
I can imagine. Seeing three monarchs – a wonderful sight.
Absolutely gorgeous!!
Thank you.
These are lovely shots Tish. Your day sounds incredibly satisfying — if exhausting! And I love that there is actually some real thing called a teasel — it sounds far too made-up. 🙂
They are v. prickly. Used to be used for carding wool. At least I don’t think I dreamt that up.
According to Wikipedia you’re spot on. I wonder whether we talk about “teasing fibres” because of the plant, or if teasels got their name from the process of teasing? 🙂
Now there’s a question 🙂
You have so much success with your allotment, you put me to shame! I think next year I am going to forget about veg and create herb beds – the slugs and snails seem to leave most of those alone, and I am weary of fighting them. My tomatoes are going crazy though and I had to make two lots of tomato sauce/soup this weekend, plus we had roasted ones on the vine for supper and there are still loads in the fridge (I know not the best place, but it is too warm to keep them out all the time) and still more to come….
Oh envy, envy. Tomatoes already. Mine are still very green. I’m longing for a decent one to eat after all the tasteless supermarket ones. But as you say, gardening is all about compromise, and finding out what will work best. What you need are some toads and thrushes!
That’s what happens when you have a ‘hot’ conservatory. Maybe grape vine and banana tree next year 🙂
Haven’t seen any thrushes at all here; one small frog. I need to get a pond installed, but OH HATES frogs and toads, so that won’t go down well with him…
I think the frogs and toads could be persuaded to be clandestine in their activities. Did I mention Charles ‘no dig’ Dowding’s advice to only water in the morning if you have a slug problem. Serious slugophobes also go out at night with a torch and a pair of scissors…
Watering in the morning sounds like good advice. I hate cutting slugs in half, each half keeps on moving… yuck!
Beauties all…bees and butterflies are two of the important creatures in our gardens.
Definitely they are, Sally.
I like the colours
You have some pretty lovely butterflies in your part of the globe. And while I’m here I just read the daftest thing – Biwott having a gold plated, bullet-proof casket for his burial – another ‘don’t know whether to laugh or cry’ moment.
The Biwott casket has been a good source of light banter. Some have asked if the family fear he maybe killed again while six feet under.
Beautiful, Tish!
Great post and images.
Cheers, Pete.
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