The Wild-life Garden Chapter 4: June 19th

Since I wrote the last chapter I have been lucky enough to spend a week in the Lake District. No need for a wild flower garden there; the verges were all a-sparkle with life and colour. I walked a lot of lanes and bridleways, between banks of blue speedwell, dazzling white stitchwort, golden buttercups, feathery pig-nuts, pale pink bistort and bright pink campion. On one day we went to Holker Hall, where the gardens include a magnificent wild flower meadow, where sorrel, plantains, more buttercups, clover and yellow rattle break up the green. I knew my garden could not match any of this, but it was exciting to see what had happened while I was away.

A recent study has shown how vital verges are for wild flowers and their attendant wild life. I have some strips in the garden that I call “verges” for want of a better description. They edge paths and are under walls and hedges. As far as possible they have any old mix of plants and are cut back if they get to be a nuisance. I am sure they provide hiding places for young frogs, and life-support systems for a range of invertebrates.

One of my so-called verges

Now the big Leucanthemum vulgare Ox-eye daisy, has started to flower. These plants spread rapidly and can be very invasive, but they are easily cut back where not wanted. They pop up all over then place, including the lawn. My wild-flower meadow was created by the simple technique of not cutting the grass. This year there is a magnificent show of Veronica chamaedrys, Germander Speedwell. Conventional gardeners go to great lengths to eliminate it from lawns, but its colour is welcomed by me, and by various bees. For the last few years we have had an unobtrusive orchid, but there is no sign of it yet. The Primula veris, Cowslip, is there this year but has not flowered. I see in my flower book that it thrives on lime, so maybe there is not enough of that. If we have some sun I’ll try and take a decent photo of the long grass.

Three flowers I was expecting to come out while I was away have done so. Barring accidents they should brighten up the garden for several weeks. One is Digitalis purpurea, Foxglove. These are biennials, so you get a seedling growing one year and a flowering spike the next.

Foxglove

For some reason they always seed where I don’t want them, but they do not seem to mind being moved. The second is Iris pseudacorus, Yellow Iris. I bought two plants of this when the pond was new and bare. Now they threaten to take the place over, and are very tough to cut out. But when they are in magnificent flower I don’t mind at all.

Yellow Iris

 In the shrubs on both sides are Lonicera periclymenum, Honeysuckle. I suppose they were planted by some previous owner long ago. Now they grow as wild, and their scent on a summer evening can be overwhelming.

Honeysuckle

I saw some in the hedgerows of the Lake District, so it is no surprise to find it blossoming here.

I am told that in some parts of the country it has been hot. Not here in Edinburgh; and the chilly wind has not made for good insect watching. Our grandson spotted a big bumblebee outside the window this afternoon, and said it was his favourite insect. I am trying to grow a few not-wild runner beans, and it was mildly irritating to find one eaten away within is plastic-bottle protector, and a large snail was easily removed to the verge. I reckon that when you can say “Look at my beautiful slugs” you can call yourself a wild gardener. (Couch grass will do as well.) Well, slugs seem to be kept in balance by the various predators. But the snails love it here, and have few enemies. Besides, they do look a lot prettier than my lettuces, or runner beans.

There will be no cuckoos or ring ouzels in my garden, I am sure. But I was woken by a dawn chorus at 3.55 am, so there is active bird life. In fact at times it can be a bit too active. I came home to find a mass of plucked pigeon feathers on the lawn. I doubt if this was the work of a cat - though the neighbourhood cats are my most unwelcome visitors. The plucked feathers made me suspect a sparrow hawk. I know there is occasionally one around, and this plucking is typical. Since no  one saw it, I cannot be certain.

I mentioned last time how frogs like to sit in the cool pond-water during hot weather. We did get one June-like day – June 10^th I think it was – and I saw four frogs in the muddy pond edge without really trying. There were probably several more concealed. Camouflage would be a good study if one was of an observant and scientific turn of mind. I am too lazy to do more than smell the honeysuckle and listen for the splash as frogs jump in.