Friday's Flower - Day Lily

I was given these Day Lilies as a lump of soil and roots and being completely ignorant of what they were I just plonked them in the ground. They have been a fantastic addition to the garden. True to their name, each bloom lasts only a day, but they are very prolific. This particular clump are, as luck would have it,  perfectly placed to catch the light from the setting sun as we are sitting in the garden enjoying these fabulous warm summer evenings.
It's been an incredible two weeks of sunshine and heat. The doors of the church have been open and the warmth is quite wonderful. I feel as though I haven't been properly warm for years!
The skies have been wonderfully blue and today there were the most perfect fluffy white clouds.

 

Long may it continue!

Strawberry picking

 

 

What better way to start the weekend by getting up early to head out to our nearest 'pick your own' farm to pick strawberries. It was a good job we did make an early start as it soon got very hot.
Wistanstow Fruit Farm is in a beautiful spot, just over the border in Shropshire.
The fruit were just perfect, not at all watery and mushy. This week's sunshine definitely helped.
In half an hour we picked around 4 kilos of strawberries!
And of course they had to be sampled in the field...
Back at home the church was filled with their scent, and a sticky afternoon of jam making followed!

Friday's Flower - Knautia

Knautia macedonica, which I proudly grew from seed a few years ago. In fact this was the only surviving plant that I managed to grow from that batch. It's now really well established and looks wonderful growing amongst the tall grasses. I've managed to grow four seedlings this year, to plant in other areas of the garden, as I love it. Knautia reminds me of devils-bit scabious, which I also love and had tried to grow from seed this year, but they didn't germinate. I'll be trying again next year.

A riverside dinner

 

 

 

 

 

Musk Mallow

Meadow Vetchling

Tufted Vetch

 

An impromptu supper by the river.

Cooked food at home and packed it up, jumped in the car and searched for a perfect riverside spot. Eventually found a lovely stoney bank with a pool.

Soon the boys were able to paddle in the cool, cool water. Looking for fish.

Followed by stone skimming and some serious splashing.

A little fossil hunting too!

Riverbanks frothing with tall grasses, alexanders, foxgloves, red campion and vetches.

Then back home to shower and bed.

A blissful summers evening.

Belated Friday's Flower - Verbascum

 

I spotted this Verbascum - Southern Charm, whilst weeding as it was hiding behind some rather thuggish plants. I must remember to move it in the autumn, to somewhere where it will thrive as I love its colouring and would like to see more of it!

June's Wildflowers

June has just been amazing for wildflowers. On my route from home to playgroup, school and the allotment I have been spotting so much on the roadside and verges. I think there is a flower here for every day in June!

Ivy-leaved Speedwell : Hawthorn : Wall Speedwell

Birdsfoot-trefoil : Scarlet Pimpernel : Hop Trefoil

White Clover : Birdsfoot-trefoil : Ground Ivy

Cut-leaved Cranesbill : Red Clover : Cat's Ear

Creeping Cinquefoil : Meadow Buttercup & Sheeps Sorrel : Herb Bennet

Prickly Sowthistle : Cleavers : Ground Elder

Hedge Mustard : Red Valerian : Hedge Woundwort

Broad-leaved Willowherb : Bramble : Sheeps Sorrel

Rough Chervil : Common Mouse-ear Chickweed : Ox-eye Daisy

Elderflower : Dog Rose : Wild Strawberry : Ox-eye Daisy

The last picture says it all really... stopping almost daily to point out a new flower to my little companion and photograph it, is fostering an interest in him too as he has started pointing them out to me!

I'm learning so much from doing this little project of recording the wildflowers on this route. Hedge mustard and hedge woundwort are new names to me. However I'm still undecided on the positive identification of Hop Trefoil... is it Black Medick I wonder, which looks almost identical? I may have to wait until the seeds form as if they are black then apparently it's Black Medick! If anyone can help me with this I'd be very grateful!

Here are April's and May's wildflowers.

Two Friday's Flowers

 I missed last weeks Friday's Flower (I was away with son #1 visiting university open days!) so I thought I'd cheat a little this week and have two!
The roses are just coming into bloom, but are looking a little sorry for themselves in the rain, and are covered in aphids. Ladybirds have been conspicuously absent this year, where are they all? I fear the cold spring has had an adverse effect on them. Hopefully they'll return and feast on all these aphids.

My second choice is foxgloves. The originals here I grew from seed, who joyfully self seeded and now there are foxgloves popping up everywhere. I love them, and so do the bees.