Tuesday

It was very chilly overnight and hasn’t exactly warmed up today despite some periods of sunshine. We spent a bit of time out in the Magic Garden as I rested in my rocking chair.

Bombus pascuorum

Bombus terrestris

European dark bee (western honeybee)

Monday

Its been a dry if not sunny day so I have continued with my photography of the insects.

I think these are Marmalade hoverflies Episyrphus Balteatus - these are common and I have just learnt can also be migratory, coming north each year to reproduce. Their larvae eat aphids and the adults feed on nectar and pollen even if they are relatively feeble pollinators.

I think I’ve also identified a female Tawny Mining bee Andrena fulva and a Red Mason bee Osmia bicornis which are fabulous to have in the Magic Garden.

Saturday

Another wet day and today I haven’t been able to do much beyond admire from the window. Hopefully the weather will improve as I get more able to do things again.

Friday

Today has been back to grey and cool - not surprisingly Ben has been less than enthusiastic about being out! He did check out under the arbour seat for mice though and checked that there was still water in the birdbath and inspected the world from the hedgehog house roof. I stayed in & pricked out & potted up the red cherry tomato seedlings

Thursday

I’ve been blessed again with another sunny day. The Magic Garden has been full of buzzing as well as sunshine

The boy has been enjoying the sun with me in the Magic Garden, following the sun round and snowing his way through the day

Wednesday

Having had my back surgery yesterday I was pleased to get out into the Magic Garden to soak up some sunshine this afternoon.

The broom is almost in full bloom and I can smell it across the garden. It is always popular with the bees as are the wallflowers. I am pleased to see them attracted to the broadbeans and hopefully ensuring a bit of a crop results.

Sunday

Ben and I spent the afternoon in the Magic Garden. I had the macro lens out & was pleased to see the bees busy around both the broad beans and the blueberries. Hopefully this will be followed by produce!

Saturday

I was blessed today with a sunny afternoon. I spent it planting out in the Magic Garden having invested this morning in two agastache amongst other plants from Stanton Hall nursery & some ‘wild flowers’ from Dobbies.

Agastache Licquorice Blue

Ben wasn’t overly impressed with the new catnip plant. I’ve planted it in the East block. I also planted out the sweetpeas that have been in the cold frame for weeks.

Agastache Blue Boa

Trifolium Angel Clover Beauty

Friday

Its been a long week owing to my ‘real’ job and hence the gaps in my blog postings. To make life feel a little worse, it has also added insult to injury by raining whenever I escape out during daylight! We’ve had gales this week to so I am pleased that my peas remain protected in their cloche as do the cauliflowers & kale. My seedling kingdom indoors is growing a pace too so I foresee plenty of work to be done this weekend

Tuesday

Inevitably its pouring with rain this evening and I have not had more than a few moments in the Magic Garden today. Ben did stretch his paws in the few moments of sunshine we had when I came home this afternoon.

Easter Monday Bank Holiday

I’ve had a lovely day today but distinctly damp at times. I have re-arranged the troughs and pots, started the potato sacks off and planted out the peas, covering them up with a cloche to keep the pigeons off. I also put a bee hotel up on the fence.

Ben has intermittently been out to help but no more attempts at mousing today although he did chase the pigeons if a bit halfheartedly.

Easter Sunday

Its been disappointingly cold and grey today even if not raining. Ben and I did spend time outside. Ben got mesmerised by the birds’ water. I’m pleased with the red tulips even though they are not a colour I should normally wish to use in the Magic Garden.

There are a mixture of flowers around from the wee violets which have seeded themselves all over the garden to the blueberries which are tantalising for the future.

Saturday

We’ve had another sunny but chilly day. I spent the majority of it outside and have done a lot of weeding & path maintenance. Ben got a bit distracted from my efforts & I had to rescue a mouse!

Good Friday

Its been disappointingly chilly today but besides going for a long walk I spent most of the afternoon in the Magic Garden. I emptied the composter today and its made some good compost now in the wee vegetable bed. I planted the cauliflowers and kale out into this.

I am pleased to see the start of the blueberries flowering. They are mainly in the canvas root bags although the oldest ones are by the back door

Tuesday

Its been another lovely spring day - chilly but sunny. Ben spent all morning sitting in the corner under the magnolia tree in the sun only coming in with me at lunchtime. I’ve been enjoying more signs of spring as the gooseberry bush shows promise for the coming year and finding olives to remind me how productive my wee garden is!

Monday

Its been a work day but impressively sunny even when I did get home later than intended. I’m ridiculously proud of my wee pond fountain considering all I’ve done is put it in the water & positioned the solar panel

Sunday

We’ve had an absolutely gorgeous spring day today and I spent most of it outside - definitely back to the time of year where the inside work gets neglected in favour of just being in the Magic Garden.

One of the jobs that I did was to rejuvenate the Thyme zone including re-setting the time on the sundial. I’ve hopefully fixed the upright now. There are 7 paving stones with 7 different thymes.

Variegated lemon thyme

Common Thyme

Creeping Red Thyme

Thyme Silver Queen

Thyme Doone Valley

Thyme Golden Archer

Thyme Silver Posie

The other task is a continuing bit of work on the pond. I need to get some more stones to complete the side maintenance. I put in the solar fountain to create some aeration and create a wee bit of movement.