Whilst I was away I found you don't have to go far even round our parts for lush greenery. Perhaps I was inspired by catching a few episodes of Springwatch, although I can really only bear to watch Simon King, being something of a traditionalist where wildlife broadcasting is concerned. The ordeal of sitting through Kate Humble and Bill Oddie wittering aimlessly and laughing at their own cliquey jokes does nothing for my love of nature I'm afraid. "Errr, and lets see what the, no...um I think we're going straight to the badgers. Oh, ah, nothing much happening. Let's have a look at um...errr".
Anyway, the above was taken a few yards from my mum's house.It's actually a bit of urban scrub masquerading as a park, but I find it a revelation when I have my photographer head on that if you look hard enough there are still some lovely things even amid the concrete bollards and haphazard townplanner planting.
And I moved faster than I have in ages to get to my camera for the shot (right) in my mum's back garden. Is it a dragonfly or a mayfly? Or neither? A very co-operative subject whatever it was. It was sunbathing, and stayed still for ages so I could experiment with my camera and try to get the best shot I could.
There have been a few developments since I last checked in:
- One less creaking bureaucratic boneshaker to deal with. The tax credit people finally grasped the situation and have stopped writing to my ex at this address. I have the correct award at last.
- One garden free of gravel just ahead of social services visiting on Friday to assess access 'issues' for the wheelchair. I will be trying to raise funds by writing to charities to get ramps fitted rather than wait for two years just because social services may prove less efficient.
- One Housing Benefit form nearly completed. I was wrongly advised at the start of all this. I am eligible, the CAB tell me, due to the separation and leaving my last home.
- One ebay dishwasher diagnosed as crap. Win some, lose some. Total write-off. I advise caution where big goods are concerned, although I have had success in the past. Always best to keep all correspondence and contacts, and ask for a service history.
- An advocate is visiting me next week to discuss wheelchair waiting list 'issues', general management of my care and how to access a homecare package (should I feel it is necessary).
Not bad going. I bought some very red geraniums (nii?) and lavender for the garden whilst away, but have managed to overwater the former. My son and his friend planted a herb wheel yesterday which looks fab.
It's nice to potter and I am now on the lookout for a cheap bench for the delapidated greenhouse which emerged from the jungle a while back. I just need to replace a couple of panes and hey presto we're in business for tomatoes at the very least. Meanwhile at the bottom of the garden there is the most extraordinary shrub. I call it the gobstopper bush on account of its large spherical blooms. I suppose they are flowers but to me they look more like alien sproutings. The bees love them, which makes up for their somewhat overbearing presence. Although they are only overbearing because the bush itself is about six feet across and nine feet tall. And I have no idea what it is. But, for anyone who might, here is a clue.
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9 comments:
It's been such a hard day. Thank you for welcoming me into your garden.
These are lovely pictures. I'm glad things are moving on.
The picture of the bee on the yellow flower is just wonderful - I'd quite like it on my wall! There's a poem by Walter de la Mare which chimed very much with me when I first discovered there were good things about being a slow loris too:
Calm was the evening, as if asleep
But sickled on high with brooding storm,
Couched in invisible space. And, lo!
I saw in utter silence sweep
Out of that darkening, starless vault
A glittering spark, as blanched as snow,
That burned into dust, and vanished in
A hay-cropped meadow, brightly green.
..
A meteor from the cold of space,
Lost in Earth's wilderness of air? -
Presage of lightnings soon to shine
In splendour on this lonely place? -
I cannot tell; but only how fair
It glowed within the crystalline
Pure heavens, and of its strangeness lit
My mind to joy at sight of it.
..
Yet what is common as lovely may be:
The petalled daisy, a honey bell,
A pebble, a branch of moss, a gem
Of dew, or fallen rain - if we
A moment in their beauty dwell;
Entranced, alone, see only them.
How blind to wait, till, merely unique,
Some omen thus the All bespeak!
Thanks Bridgett and Goldsmith, and Fluttertongue that was very touching to put such a lovely and apt poem up here. For those who love nature, urban or rural, I recommend any of Richard Mabey's books (he's a nature columnist for BBC Wildlife, and writes beautifully on nature, art, photography, sculpture in nature, literature...he's a great read). And it was in this issue that I discover my insect is in fact a damselfly.
I think your yellow flower is a type of buddleia - it's often seen with purple spikes of flowers rather than yellow globes, often growing out of walls. Butterflies love it as well as bees.
Maggie you were right! An orange butterfly buddleia bush. Buddleia Globosa Hope. Huge but quite impressive. And the scent is lovely. We seem to have attracted all the bees in the locality, which is fine by me as I love them.
The photo of the dragonfly is excellent!
Thanks Philip, I was quite chuffed. Having read up on them, if you catch them basking in the early evening sun they don't move for ages, which is great for practising wildlife shots.
The bee is pretty damn good too :-)
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