A guerrilla garden perspective.
It’s all rather wild over the back garden fence. Bouts of heavy rain have flattened and mashed some of the plants. But then others are thrusting to the fore as the guerrilla garden* enters its yellow phase. The marguerites aka dyers’ chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria ) are putting on a good show and attracting all sorts of bugs: longhorn beetles and hover flies as well as ladybirds, though if the final photo is a harlequin ladybird (?Pete?) we could probably do without it.
* The guerrilla garden is a strip of unofficial planting along our back garden border with the neighbouring field.
Tish Farrell 
Well caught, Tish
Thank you, Sue.
these are awesome shots! 🙂 🙂
What a lovely picture! Une coccinelle sur une Marguerite… 🌸
And so much lovelier en francais. Merci beaucoup.
Pas de quoi. It is lovely in English too. I love the contrasts between the 2 languages. e.g. your dragonfly (very poetic) is a ‘libellule’ for us… Weird isn’t it? Take care.
Libellule is an exquisite word. Asante sana!
These yellow marguerites are very lovely. I remember commenting about them last year, but I still haven’t bought any or seen seeds. How tall do they grow? Now off to look up that harlequin ladybird, I suspect it isn’t a native from your statement. Never seen one with so many spots!
A couple of feet, perhaps more, and with a tendency to flop, which is fine in the field. They would be good in a container I should think.
Your title sounds like it could be the name of a Molly Drake song 😊
That;s a very pleasing association. I didn’t know her work but have just been listening on the interweb. The Master and Margarita was also going through my head, which is a much lumpier association that scarcely works at all.
Guerrilla ladybugs! What a thought, Tish. Love that lead photo 🤗💕
Those harlequin types sound v. nasty gobblers despite snazzy looks. Apparently they’ve done for 7 of our native species. I have not verified this info, however, and there were all different sorts out in the guerrilla garden when I was taking the photos.
A great collection of insects: you make my attempts at capturing ladybirds in all aspects of their lifecycle look blurry and amateurish (which they are!) Stay safe in the world of the guerilla virus.
The bugs were very obligingly immobile, Meg. I suspect the ladybirds were full of aphids. Hope all is well with you and yours at Potato Point.
Ladybirds are such appealing little things I think – all glossy and compact. 🙂
That’s just it, Elaine – compact and glossy. And a complete contrast to their adolescent form which is really rather creepy in a Darth Vader-ish sort of way.
Yes, I’m not a fan of their adolescent form at all – stuff of nightmares really!
Really worried about ladybirds this year, I’ve only seen one in our garden so far and my neighbour who loves nature has only seen two 😦
I think I’ve got other people’s share then. I’ve found a few in the polytunnel too.
Send some to Hampshire please, if it helps mention to them I’ve got lots of black fly!!
I’ll go and tell them, but I think they may be too well supplied behind our old privies. I’ve never seen such huge infestations of black fly as i have this year. It’s interesting though that they seemed to have missed the broad bean season. They are usually a complete pest if you haven’t pinched the plant tops out.
They’re on very nice runner beans by the privet if that helps!
Gosh on runner beans. I’ve not had that happen. This intel might just tempt the ladybirds 🙂
Neither have I, really difficult to remove without damaging the buds . Please work your magic on the ladybirds!
While waiting on the ladybirds, a little water spray with a spot of ecover washing up liquid or similar in the water. And a fierce squirt. Will probably need several goes.
Ooh thanks for that tip, had wondered about w/u liquid but wasn’t sure. I’ll begin tomorrow 🙂
Good luck!
Thanks, been distracted most of the day so far but hopefully this evening when it is cooler I will be able to spray!