Let’s begin with one for Nan! Bless her cotton socks. Hope you all remembered her birthday? 🙂 Pink Crab Spider on Cosmos. The spiders ‘stitch’ two petals together as a prelude to making a nest, and it makes excellent cover when an unsuspecting bee or fly happens along. Citrus Swallowtail caught on the Wing. Robber … More I’m Still here …. if not all there, apparently!
The annual African Caper White (e)migration is under way, and while by no means a record year as before there are still plenty of butterflies passing through the Ark’s spot as they make their way north and then turn right and head out towards Moçambique where they most likely die and fall into the sea. … More And here we are … 2022.
A few years ago I began growing lavender at our spot and now we have an abundance. Aside from the plant’s fragrance and its looks, it is water-wise, grows easily, and requires almost zero maintenance once established. It attracts all sorts of insects, is a favourite of the bees, and the lavender planted at the … More Leading you up the garden path. Lavender and …
A rare treat indeed! Not one, not two but three Death’s Head Hawkmoth Caterpillars. All rescued from the attentions of the cats this afternoon, and carefully relocated out of harm’s way. Caterpillar 1. Caterpillar 2. Caterpillar 3. I contemplated bringing them indoors to raise them but as I have done this before I decided to … More Leading you up the Garden Path
I’m busy watching David Attenborough’s latest documentary series all about colour in the animal kingdom and I thought I would join in with a small selection from my own garden. You’ve probably seen many of these before so I hope you enjoy this sampling second time around.
One of the Newbies. Baxter- settling in very nicely. Meadow White – I think? Hummingbird Hawk Moth captured atop a shrub in the back garden. Bombyliidae are a family of flies. Megachile chrysorrhoea Orange-tipped Resin Bee. Megachile chyrsorrhea And finally … Partially hidden among the jasmine on the shed I found the nest of a … More Leading you up the garden path.
Crab Spider indulges in a spot of lunch. My second attempt at air layering one of our lemon trees. This time things turned out more successful as the newly potted tree below shows. Potted and mulched and settling in. Beetle – not sure of the species. Freshly excavated potatoes ( Boxing Day ) drying in … More Leading you up the garden path.
Carpenter Bee Over Cosmos. Encedon Acraea Across The Valley. Crab Spider. Cosmos. Century Cactus – bottom of the drive. Twin Dotted Border. White Agapanthus Citrus Swallowtail Dusk Sunset. Ark.
Every year around this time toadstools begin to appear in the garden. All due to the heavy rains I suppose. Anyway, someone asked: ”Have you seen the white toadstools in the back garden , Dad”, to which I replied: ”Yes, and they’ll be gone by tomorrow once I’ve mowed the lawn.” ”Why don’t you postpone … More Leading someone up the garden path
After hitting record highs in Jo’burg for November it decided to rain …. for three days, and then the mist rolled in. Someone nicked the Tower. Hadeda Ibis sits it out. No on-board lights so can’t fly in the fog. But at least the veggies welcome the rain. Bunch of has beans. Kammy braves the … More leading you up the garden path. And it all went soggy.
Thread -Waisted Wasp. Potatoes and Squash Female Trithemis furva, Navy Dropwing. Fresh Chillis – Picked this morning. Unidentified Beetle/Bug on Alyssum. On a clear day – Across the Valley. Hillbrow Tower Venus, Neptune and Saturn (top right corner). (Cellphone shot courtesy of Ems.) Ark.
A Tale Unfolds 