Warm winds this afternoon, and a flurry of Red Admiral butterflies about the garden. Also out on the lawn, the alcoholic waft of gently fermenting apples – windfalls from our gnarly trees. The trees are in need of serious remedial work – if reclaiming them is even possible. Most of the fruit is spoiled before it falls – lots of pests and diseases, and some very spotty articles. But that said, there’s been enough good fruit to make a few pots of cinnamon and honey poached apple. And more to come.
As for this Red Admiral, it was spending a lot of time supping from a very rotten apple. I wonder if butterflies get squiffy. It might account for all the whirling about that was going on as I hacked away on project-liberation-greenhouse. It’s almost free from the overbearing hedge, but a lot of broken panes where hawthorn and ivy branches have leaned too heavily. For now, though, it’s good enough to shelter two bucket-planted tomato plants brought from Broseley. They’re still fruiting, if sporadically.
Our other tomatoes are an outdoor container variety, Tumbling Tom. They ripened very nicely on the terrace wall during our week of hot September weather. Here they are doing just what it says on the packet: cascading from their pots in profusion – out of summer and into fall.
Aren’t they pretty?…the falling tomatoes and the butterfly just make home …home.
Thanks, Beverly.
Well, you really are so green fingered, Tish!
Ah, the trick is, not doing anything too complicated. But thanks for the compliment, Sue.
You’re welcome, Tish!
Lovely photos, Tish. Even lovelier fragrance from the cinnamon and honey and apple.
The dragon called AI which has, of course, been fed this information, says that butterflies, among other insects and birds, do get drunk on the ethanol of fermenting fruit. So they probably won’t love too much cleaning up!
Thank you for that info, Sarah. We’ve left them plenty to go at. Lots of windfalls decomposing on the lawn.
Those tomatoes look delicious, Tish. I wonder if a drunken butterfly can get a FWI…flying while intoxicated? 😉
🙂 🙂 🙂
Lovely photos Tish.
Thanks, Anne.
😊
I am going to try those tomatoes next year. I wanted to this year, but it rained ALL the time. It rained today, but at least by dinner time, the sun was peaking out. But those tomatoes look really good.
Maybe the butterflies DO get a bit alcoholized. Too bad we can’t ask them.
They seem a fairly reliable variety, and this year my plants certainly had to endure a mostly wet, windy and cold spring and summer – i.e. apart from a brief bit of summer in June, and then again the recent hot week in September.
This woman moves house, with all that this entails, and forthwith produces a bumper tomato crop …. Well. Words fail me!
A small bumper crop, Margaret. And I did get them going back in April. And the removal guys were happy to move them. But I’ll bask in your being impressed anyway 🙂
🙂
Tumbling Tom- such a lovely name! And yes, drunken butterflies- why not, Tish?
It seems from what fellow blogging chums have said, they do get drunk. What a hoot. It might explain how I got that photo. Subject was too blotto to notice me. They’re usually pretty timid.
🤣🩷
Butterflies sure do get sloshed Tish, also wasps that’s why they get so bolshy this time of the year and want to fight the world.
Thanks for corroborating drunken insect behaviour, Brian. And explaining aggressive waspishness.
Envious of your tomatoes Miss T. Be a few weeks yet before my seedlings are planted out. We need some rain as well.
Talking of the weather …Did you catch any of the news of Cape Town. Highest seas and heaviest flooding on record, so my son told me.
Hope you and Mister G are settling in at your new spot.
I didn’t see the Cape Town news, but there’s certianly lots of windy weather about. A whopping great bluster arrived at midday today, complete with downpours, so I’m thinking the Tumbling Toms may have had their chips, fruiting wise.
And as to settling in, Mr G these days permanently goes round armed with tubs of wall filler and a paint roller; alternatively with drill and screwdriver, but yes, thanks, it seems like home. The folks here a very friendly, and a touch anarchic which suits us.
terrific tumblers you have there Tish
p.s. and more parallel lives since I too had to literally pull an old greenhouse out of the arms of an elder before it could be restored!
Intriguing how plant life embraces the inanimate. It’s hard work making it let go too. Mine!
amputation was my answer!
Oooh! That made me wince. But yes. Only way.
Beautiful tomatoes! 🍅🍅