We have had a week that has been drier than forecast and also with more sunshine than expected. The trees are beginning to change colour and some leaves are starting to fall. The sun is lower in the sky and for a lot of the time, doesn’t reach over the tops of my ancient trees. I’ll have to wait until all the leaves are off the trees before the garden is flooded with sunlight once more.
Time for Six on Saturday, here are mine for this week…….
No 1 Red Admiral butterflies.
This is my “go to” plant at the moment, if the sun is shining I make a bee line for my Eupatorium purpureum atropurpureum to see how many butterflies are enjoying all that is on offer. Yesterday afternoon I counted 12 Red Admirals and 1 Tortoiseshell at one time, fantastic!
No 2 Ivy had to go.
I was having difficulty opening the garage door, which goes up and over, because of the ivy growing up the brickwork, on the left hand side, I couldn’t get the door high enough. I have cleared an awful lot more than is showing here, probably another session should finish it, then I can restore my carving once more. They say that Ivy is good for wildlife, I have found 2 snails so far and numerous wood lice, but best of all was a small nest made from moss and cobwebs, complete with tiny little black feathers, it could only be the nest of a Long tailed tit! I don’t think it was used as it was still very small, it expands as the chicks grow, they probably didn’t like me going in and out all the time.
No 3 Aster.
Still in the front garden, in the driveway border, are masses of self seeded asters. They come into their own at this time of year with all the bees and butterflies paying them a visit. They are spreading so much that I pull half out in the spring when they come through, but there are always plenty left for the wildlife to enjoy at this time of year.
No 4 Miscanthus malepartus
This is when grasses come into their own, this is Miscanthus malepartus, now about 7ft tall with the most gorgeous purple flower heads. Good for flower arranging at church, it makes a real statement in the border round the dead oak.
No 5 Rhododendron buds
While wandering round yesterday morning, I couldn’t help but notice that all the rhododendrons and camellias are covered with lovely fat flower buds. This means that we had plenty of rain in August, which prevented the shrubs from aborting their buds and also means that we should have a good displey of flowers next spring.
No 6 White ivy.
On the woodland floor, I couldn’t help but notice this bit of ivy which is all white. It is just the common wild ivy and hadn’t been covered with anything, it got just as much light as the rest of the ivy round it, so I don’t know why it isn’t the same colour. Should I try to propagate it?
These are my 6 for this Saturday. Rain is due this weekend but we might get it, we might not, if not I have plenty to do in the garden to keep me busy. Thanks must go once again to Jon The Propagator for hosting, do pay him a visit to see what is happening in gardens round the world.
I enjoyed reading about your six, Pauline
Oh good Cathy, I’m so glad!
Our weather this week sounds much like yours Pauline. Your eupatorium is certainly a bee magnet. I don’t know what has happened with your ivy. Have the paler leaves been like that all year? It would be an interesting experiment anyway to propagate a piece and to see what happens.
We are having a lovely spell of weather at the moment Anna, and all the butterflies are on the eupatorium, I am taking so many photos! It is a while since I was in the woodland, June and July, there isn’t much to look at because it is so dark with all the leaves, so I restart my wanderings in there when the cyclamen start flowering and this is when I noticed the white ivy, so no, there weren’t any white leaves in the spring, it is all this years growth.I will try and take a cutting, but have a feeling I might not be very successful!
Loving your Eupatorium purpureum atropurpureum. Just set me off on a search for it (not currently available on first place I looked but found plenty else). I grew some type of Eupatorium early on in my garden but removed it at some point. Will have to make a point to add one back. The white ivy is intriguing. Take care.
My Eupatorium is a wonderful plant Susie, a friend gave it to me because it was too big for her garden and I have loved it ever since. The flowers are much larger and a much deeper pink than the wild one and the butterflies love it, I’m sure they would in your garden too!
What a lot of beautiful butterflies 🙂
Lots more have been coming since Saturday Megan, I’ve taken loads more photos, it really is a feeding frenzy out there on the eupatorium!
Lucky you with all those butterflies. I do like your carving. Ivy is great for wildlife, but grows like a weed here too. I would definitely take a cutting of the white ivy. xxx
Each day I was out counting butterflies on the Eupatorium, the most I counted was 13 Red Admirals at one time, the rest just ones and twos. I will try to take a cutting of the white ivy, but feel that it might not be very strong with no chlorophyll.