No Mow May?

This week feels as though summer has arrived with its hot, dry weather. The reminder it's still Spring is the tree pollen! I couldn't resist a few photos of the flowers in bloom at the moment. With the start of no mow May it's worth being a bit more flexible with the dates, this year's early Spring has meant leaving wilder spots earlier for earlier emerging insects and nesting birds. 

(If you can't cope with an entire lawn of unkempt grass, try leaving longer areas under trees or mow lots of paths. Or just plant some insect friendly flowers in your borders or pots.)

Summer in the garden, everything flowering all at the same time...

 

A quick update on some of the flowers in the garden this summer. A few might seem to be weeds to some, but I find them to be useful as pollinator foods and very pretty as well. (A lawn with white clover smells gorgeous and is good for common blue butterflies and bees.) I admit, due to the very wet spring, the bindweed is ferocious this year but autumn pulling and digging will get it back under control for next year and for now, the white flowers are appealing. The very wet Spring seems to have triggered a profusion of flowers with everything flowering all at the same time... these are some that caught my eye today.

Self-Heal (butterflies and bees)

Snapdragon (bumblebees)

Crocosmia (pollinating insects)

Valerian (all insects plus moths like the hummingbird hawkmoth)

Bindweed (pollinating insects)

Buddleia (pollinating insects, in particular moths and butterflies)

white clover (bumble bees, common blue butterfly)

lawn flowers!

roses (good for this human!)

fox and cubs (bees)

Love in a mist seed heads (for next years' garden!)

Buddleia 

Chicory (bees)

Sweet William (bees)

Cornflower (pollinating insects)

Calendula (pollinating insects)

Yandles Summer Handmade Market this Saturday ~17th July 2021

 

Looking forward to my first craft fair at Yandles this Saturday, with a range of handmade cards, crochet gifts and watercolours.

June & July summer exhibition

 I am delighted to be exhibiting watercolours, oils and small collages at the Creative Studio Art Gallery, Great Bow Wharf, Bow Street, Langport, TA10 9PN this summer during June & July. There is a lovely selection of local artists across a range of mediums situated in a beautiful repurposed wharf building on the River Parrett. You can grab a bite to eat in the Kitchen and wander along the river paths as well.

Good Luck Tor, watercolour in a Fairtrade frame. (sold)

Paper collage of Kilve Beach, Somerset looking towards Exmoor.

Egret flypast and Swans at Ham Wall nature reserve, watercolours.

Two views of Burnham-on-Sea, paper collage. (sold)

Beach Moments at Charmouth, Dorset.

Mosaic on watercolour paper handmade in Somerset.

Winter Walk near Glastonbury Tor

White Horse, Kilve Beach, Somerset (oils on board).

June sunshine...

Today there is much needed rain in the form of storm Miguel, yesterday there was time for a
few June photos in the garden...

This year, the wet, warm Spring means giant perrenials!

Phlox settling in new position.

Coreopsis

Bumble bee on white valerian

grapevine

nigella and orange wall

squash seedlings growing

new rose seems happy

lilies flowering this year

'love in a mist' growing through the decking!

clematis climbing well

Some photos from last month,

foxgloves

and iris

(celebrating World Bee Day.)