Natural highs and lows

The above photograph was taken around about dawn as I was wandering through to the kitchen, bleary-eyed, to sort out breakfast for Mocha the cat and a mug of tea for myself. As yet, I did not know that I would be attempting Blogtober. The end of September had seen 50+mph winds from the south, which meant that the beginning of October has Autumn on speed-dial. Today, in surprisingly pleasant weather, I finished giving the front lawn its only cut of the year, as all the wildflowers have now set seed. It was, however, noticeable that the year is inexorably turning, with plenty of evidence from our neighbour's trees decorating parts of our garden: Rowan berries, Sycamore keys and a pair of pine cones. There's an off-putting festive vibe to those photos! In the rockery, the Big Geranium (technical horticultural term) is still in bloom, providing nectar for some Honey Bees, whilst in the background, a solitary Sedum was hosting several White-tailed Bumblebees and a Red Admiral butter...

We're way past No Mow May, well beyond Too Soon June and are currently in Leave it High July, so I'm wondering if Blades Gathering Dust August is a thing? Yes, we're talking about the green, green grass of home and the distinct lack of lawn at Burnbank. The edges of the front and back gardens have had a path cut, and also the area around the pond, but the even the drying green has been left to its own devices and is now a sea of Cat's-ear, Self-heal and White Clover.  The small area which we designated as meadow is a riot of Yellow Rattle and the wildflower patch is festooned with Fox and Cubs, Red Clover and Ox-eye Daisies. The hard-standing where Megan parks her car is a edged with Mayweed, whilst in the front garden the orchids have had their day and have disappeared under a canopy of Meadow Vetchling.  The rockery has benefitted from the occasional light weeding, allowing the geraniums, pinks and assorted alpines to rule the roost, but there will not be much mainten...

This blog tends to concentrate on parochial environmental topics, rarely touching on global political affairs. For example, the changing roll call of birds seen through the year as the seasonal mass movement of feathered creatures wing their way around the planet, outrageously ignoring any lines drawn on a map. Or, even closer to my heart, the androgyny of dragonflies and damselflies as they seek a bit of peace, away from testosterone-fuelled madness. And yet, morning after morning, the news is full of another act of war by an aggressor state. I kid you not, as I typed those words, there were actual rumbles of thunder. I had to double check, but a real time lightning app confirmed it. But I digress, back to wildlife in and around an Orkney garden. This week, there was wondrous news in the Comments section when AF identified the smaller beetles which have turned up at the pond. He wasn't sure of the exact species, but the genus is Helophorus . To arrive at the specific name, I will ...

We need very little excuse to enjoy the garden, rather than slaving away in it. So with the arrival of a warm, calm and sunny day, the ideal opportunity presented itself for a wander through the weeds. Megan has spent the last month or so planting up a rockery, which is the only bit of the garden that is designated as off limits to wildflowers. In the remainder of the garden, more often than not, we're removing cultivated flowers to make room for more wildness. One upshot of this is that occasionally there's a vista that is a blend of the formal and informal. Yellow Rattle in the "meadow" Red Hot Poker Primula in the rockery Geranium sp. in the rockery Oxalis sp. in the rockery Geranium sp. and Creeping Buttercup in a border Red Clover and Creeping Buttercup in the front lawn Mocha and friend (at the base of the right hand pot)... ... a Cabbage Moth A hoverfly on Armeria. ID'd by UK Hoverflies as Scaeva selenitica Back in the "meadow", these are the basa...