Damsel fly

[jane jackson]

Yesterday I saw a beautiful electric blue damsel fly, it was going in and out of the greenhouse. I've never seen one before in this garden and we only have a half barrel with water in for our 3 goldfish so not a lot to attract them. Funnily enough I saw lots of them, some brown and some this same blue on tuesday when I was viewing a property with the friend who's hoping to move here. The property has a very large garden with 3 ponds, one of which was quite large. Perhaps the damsel fly followed me home!

We have absolutely loads of bees so that's wonderful. They're loving the echiums at the moment and the foxgloves. The ceanothus has gone over now but they covered that while it was in flower.

[Kath Mulligan]

With growing mostly veg this year I haven't got a lot to entice bees etc into my garden at the moment, but one did take a fancy to me the other evening when I was wearing a flowery blouse!!

Kath

[pauline]

, !

The ceanothus has gone over now .

It's amazing to see this remark as ours has just come into full bloom so it goes to show how forward you are in Cornwall. I ordered my Tangye bulbs today from the very friendly chap in Cornwall and look forward to planting them in September. 10 bulbs cost £19.40 p&pincl.

[Kath Mulligan]

I've got 30 bulbs on order and am hoping that they are not going to be flowering at their very best during the fortnight I shall be down in PZ next March! How annoying would that be?! If we get another winter anything like the last one I shan't need to worry since my daffodils didn't flower properly until April this year.

Kath

[gloria townsin]

Well Kath you can always pop down to Bryher if ours are out at that time.

Discovered Miss Wilmott's Ghost dies back in the winter and you have to collect the seeds and sow them fresh.......the creature is now pretty tall according to Eddie I must post the pic I took a couple of weeks ago, although it just looks like a huge green plant, should develop a thistle like head.

[adesmith]

I still havent ordered my bulbs! I will be lucky if there are some left by the time that I get around to it.

Jane, how big is your half barrel pond? I have more or less decided that I am going to make one and so I was really interested when I saw your comment. We dont have anywhere for a proper pond at the back of the house and I did think that I might get one of those funny solar fountains with the terracota pots tha pour from one to the other. They are quite expensive though and I can see it getting easily broken. also you cant put plants or fish in them. I have been reading on the internet about half barrels and thought I could get a floating solar fountain.

Also, do you remember me saying that the ceanothus by the side of our house is in bad condition. I was thinking of getting rid of it but I wondered if I cut it right down whether new growth and healthy would come. I think it has been there for a few years and I did hear somewhere that they only stay nice for about 10 years. Any advice anyone? Its a job for the summer hols.

[gloria townsin]

Funny you should mention the Ceanothus Adrian as someone who viewed our house told me that they can suddenly die.........which I didn't know - in fact was just saying how wonderful it had been a week or two ago and how much it had grown, so was really surprised to hear they can suddenly die off. Your's might come back of course so don't cut it down on my report.

[jane jackson]

I hadn't heard that Gloria. Ours is only 3 or 4 years old and today I've trimmed it back a bit especially at ground level as it was getting a bit large. I had noticed that one in a garden in our road looked wonderful last year but seemed very woody and lacked flowers this year. We had one on Exmoor but planted it in a narrow bed on top of the car park wall too near the hedge and that leant out at an angle to reach the light so was a bit of a strange shape and leggy but it was still flowering well when we left ~ they've probably cut it down now!

I'll measure my half barrel tomorrow Adrian. It's just a normal size one we got from the local Garden Centre in Minehead some years ago now. We have a semi circular mesh basket in there on 2 upturned flowerpots with some marginal plants in + a couple more smaller square baskets and some of that floating weed. Since moving to PZ we only have 3 fish which is much better and the water manages to stay clean ~ we do have water snails, think they're essential. Previously we had about 9 fish but think that was too many for it to stay clean but they did get transferred to a tank in the house for the winter and the barrel was cleaned out before they went back in the spring. I just thought it might be too cold for them with the barrel being above ground. Down here they stay out all winter. I thoroughly enjoy watching the fish. I also put pots of flowers and tall grasses on the ground around the barrel (it's backed up to the wall of the house) which add to the look of it.

[adesmith]

Thats exactly what I imagined doing, Jane. I was even thinking about what I could put around it. Do you think the fish have to come in during the winter though? I will have to wait until the money comes through from the exam board but that is what I think I am going to treat myself to. Its a good idea about the upturned flower pots and the mesh basket. Thanks for the tips!

[jane jackson]

Having seen your post Adrian and read mine again, I forgot to measure the half barrel ~ sorry, will try to remember, just a bit busy at the moment. Our fish were fine out all winter here even with all that frost so you'll probably be ok. Exmoor does get quite harsh winters and the barrel wasn't in a place which would have been seen easily in winter and I actually liked seeing them indoors in a tank but that has a pump in it as quite small and that did need a lot of attention as it needed cleaning regularly or it stopped pumping.

[adesmith]

Thanks Jane, just if you get the chance. It would be interesting for when I go looking. I nearly went to the garden centre yesterday but had to go to Next clothes shopping instead! I dont think we would be able to bring any fish in but our back garden is quite sheltered. Will have to have a think.

[gloria townsin]

Re damsel flies we saw several today around the gardens and I took a photo of a dragon fly that appeared to be laying eggs in the shallow part of a pond. At Mazey Day we were looking at a stall and a young man was standing very still with a huge dragon fly on his T-shirt, it stayed there for ages and lots of people were looking at it, very beautiful and at least five inches long.

Our fish are in what amounts to a large wood, plastic lined, planter made to look like a well. They survived through the winter though over the last couple of years we lost a few of the originals - we have four and they are eating like crazy at the moment. I think we might well make a nice pond in time, the one we saw today was fantastic, but it was in an enormous garden.

[Janet Swan]

Thanks Jane, just if you get the chance. It would be interesting for when I go looking. I nearly went to the garden centre yesterday but had to go to Next clothes shopping instead! I dont think we would be able to bring any fish in but our back garden is quite sheltered. Will have to have a think.

I like shopping at Next too, Adrian!!! That and M&S are the sources of my wardrobe (I prefer a limited choice)!!!

It might be better that you don't have fish in your back garden, because I've read that fish and wildlife don't go together very well. I'm sure frogs and other wild creatures will find your pond, and no doubt Rupert will enjoy watching them.

Janet

[adesmith]

Most of my clothes are either Next or I pick up more general stuff from Tesco and Sainsburys. Both do some reasonable things if you shop wisely. I normally get my Next things from the directory but because I needed a shirt and new shoes for the school staff 'do' on Friday, Rachel made me go to the shop. That way I was able to get them there and then rather than risking them being out of stock.

Maybe you are right about the fish. I was also thinking about the cats and of course being so close to the river there are lots of herons (although I have never seen one land in the garden). I quite like the idea of something swimming around though.

[jane jackson]

I measured the half barrel today Adrian and it's 29 inches diameter. I love watching the fish, sometimes they're quite active and at other times they just seem to be basking like the sharks! We have 2 cats and they've never shown any interest in the fish possibly because it isn't at ground level and there's nothing for the cats to perch on or even see the fish. We've had no trouble from herons either (hope I'm not tempting fate here) but the half barrel is right back against the wall of the house with an overhang above the window which is above the barrel and as I said we have lots of tall plants in and around it so would be difficult for any heron to see the fish. No problems with the gulls either and we have loads of those around. You could do both, have similar to us and Gloria and then also have a small container in the ground for wildlife. Good luck with whichever way you decide to go, you'll have fun anyway.

On the other subject I just love M&S for my clothes, Bryan thinks the car could get there by itself. Janet have you discovered that if you take an M&S item of clothing to the Oxfam shop they give you a £5 voucher to spend in M&S if you spend £35 or more and that's not difficult to do, think it includes home and beauty as well as clothes? I have £40 worth of vouchers to come from M&S after buying my car insurance from them ~ yippee!

[Janet Swan]

Oh yes, dear Jane, I have been taking M&S clothes to the Oxfam shop for some time now and enjoying the £5 vouchers!

Janet

[jane jackson]

Good for you Janet ~ it's a great idea isn't it?