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IN OUR GARDENS 2025

I’ve had plenty of bumblebees. I grow lots of lavender and a few other bee friendly plants, that keeps them happy
We lost the lavender maybe that's why. The little bees goes for the spiked speedwell and cotoneaster, that was poor this year but we had some renovations done and the workers damaged a lot. They had no regard for the garden at all. They like the golden rod though. The hollyhocks were poor this year they were squabbling over the pollen I have never seen that before. Had to buy new nasturtiums seeds too our crop was poor last year.
 
I’ve had plenty of bumblebees. I grow lots of lavender and a few other bee friendly plants, that keeps them happy
Even getting quite a few bees now, mid September, flowers on ivy proving particularly attractive. Mahonia will usually keep them interested later in the year.
 
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Even getting quite a few bees now, mid September, flowers on ivy proving particularly attractive. Mahonia will usually keeps them interested later in the year.

I’ve had plenty of bumblebees. I grow lots of lavender and a few other bee friendly plants, that keeps them happy
Sat on doorstep after breakfast iin Madams front garden with the hounds sunny day garden was alive with bees and odd butterfly s
Lovely
 
I have several New Zealand Flax plants which throw up spikes of flowers. I'd never have believed it, but the bees absolutely love the flower heads. Ceanthus is also always popular with the bees each year.
 
I have several New Zealand Flax plants which throw up spikes of flowers. I'd never have believed it, but the bees absolutely love the flower heads. Ceanthus is also always popular with the bees each year.
Verbina is another one I grow for the bees, it just seesmt o go on floowering the whole summer
Yes I bought a pot of Verbena and Yarrow. It spreads fast. The butterflies head for the laurel flowers but they don't last long. Getting a lot of vines there are 3 now, one is a Virginia Creeper two wild and next door has a grape vine, queue the music, and it has escaped.
 
I always wanted a big irregular garden wall with things climbing on, Some areas here in Coventry have your coping stones. I have some but they are blue. (Black) they came from an old house. We also have sandstone stones used as edging stones we were told they came from Stoneleigh Abbey? We used to be part of the estate donkeys years ago. Very old donkeys.. They make good rockery stones.
 
FOX NEWS.

Had the trail camera out at night for about 140ish days now. There seems to be a fox visit every 3 days, and I see the one with the limp now and again. He can put a bat on when he wants to, so he does not seem disadvantaged.

Old Bill the Badger seemed to come once a week, but has not been seen for 3 weeks.
 
FOX NEWS.

Had the trail camera out at night for about 140ish days now. There seems to be a fox visit every 3 days, and I see the one with the limp now and again. He can put a bat on when he wants to, so he does not seem disadvantaged.

Old Bill the Badger seemed to come once a week, but has not been seen for 3 weeks.
We've had a pair of foxes visiting our communal lawns after midnight before the hedgehogs get here for some time now. I put out tit-bits when I can. Last night they copped for half a roast chicken, which must have put a smile on their furry faces.
 
Has anyone grown tomatoes this year? I’ve never known this before, but for the first time we’ve had plants growing that must have seeded themselves. The most successful has grown in a small area where a clematis had been cut down. It’s a beefsteak variety and we’re still having fruit from it now. The strange thing is I didn’t think I grew that type last year…..very odd…
 
Has anyone grown tomatoes this year? I’ve never known this before, but for the first time we’ve had plants growing that must have seeded themselves. The most successful has grown in a small area where a clematis had been cut down. It’s a beefsteak variety and we’re still having fruit from it now. The strange thing is I didn’t think I grew that type last year…..very odd…
Beefsteak is great, our favorite is heirloom!
 
I rescued a bumble bee hopefully yesterday my partner saw him walking up and down all day on Sunday, it was very cold, then he got into a pot with a geranium and coreopsis and didn't move. I tried this tip before and it didn't work but it did this time. I made a flat ish receptical out of tinfoil and put some sugar water in, I think it was too strong so I diluted it. It wouldn't go near so I persuaded him to go on to a flower head and he tried taking the pollen. I don't think there was much so I bent another stem over. Its wings were trembling I looked up it means they shiver to keep warm. I dribbled some sugar water on to the flower centre and it took that. Then I guided it to the tinfoil and it realised, it kept walking in figures of 8' then back to take to some more and got quite fast walking then shinned down a stem on to the foliage. Maybe it will winter there. I spoke to it all the time, my partner said who are you talking to now, she knows I talk to the birds, I said the bee. Oh she said. If I can add a picture I will.
 
I built a bug hotel in my garden, a place for the predators to overwinter. It worked remarkably well! I was doing a bit of tidying around it and putting on a few more branches when I disturbed a wasp nest.

I realized too late after getting stung on the hand then as they were all agitated another followed me and stung me on the leg through my trousers.

I don’t mind the wasps in all fairness; they are quite veracious predators of pests. I get virtually no green or black fly with them in the veg patch.
 
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