Now the big telescope has been brought into the house (from the garage), this is its route to the platform.

The frilly ox-eye daisies by the catmint are disappearing, for some reason.

Now the telescope is no longer wheeled down this path it doesn’t have to be kept wide.

I’ve often thought about planting something in this gap. Mind-your-own-business, chamomile, succulents or sweet woodruff. As a first step I cleared out the gravel in the narrow section to a depth of 100cm or so when it was dry, cleaned it and topped it up with fresh golden gravel. The drainage is probably still not brilliant.

The Speckled Wood butterfly was seen on a path on 9th June.

The Dragonfly exuvia, which presumably this is (see British Dragonfly Society) was found today at about 1pm on the coping next to the pond. I’ve seen no other signs of eggs, larvae or even adults, apart from the occasional damselfly with a very thin, electric-blue body.

26 Jun

Vaughn, Rob and Linda have identified the exuvia as an Emperor. Thanks to them. I wish I’d seen it emerge.

This path is really rather too wide. The pots help, and I’ll try to plant some more overlapping edging this summer. If that fails I’ll enlarge the beds by making a new border, probably with rows of bricks. The metal edging would be hard to move, even though I’ve got some spare pieces, but it shouldn’t be difficult to get out.

Looks familiar?!

One salvia nemorosa ‘Lubecca’ in B1 cut back. Two left. Some geranium ‘Rozanne’ foliage cut back. Some erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ in B3 trimmed.

The thalictrums in B1 and B2 have gradually thinned out as the season’s progressed, and you can now see through them quite well.

Early September 17

Cut back all the thalictrums, and most of the salvias.

See also May 17