Country Notes

Published on 4th September 2008 in News

Well we are into September and there is certainly a smell of autumn in the air.

The early morning sun has not the strength of warmth, and the weather has been so changeable with plenty of showers.

Not the ideal weather to finish off the harvest.

I am still seeing red admirals and speckled woods, and other butterflies, in the garden, but my buddleia and other blooms are just about flowered out.

I will have to visit the garden centre to buy some plants that will continue flowering well into autumn, and winter. Plants like the ice plant - sedum spectabile; michaelmas daisy; scabious; lavender; marjoram; mint and thyme.

The butterflies will also relish any wind fall apples, a special treat for them. What a hive of activity is produced in the orchard: there are flies, wasps and then the butterflies vying for their place at the bar.

In actual fact I have had the same attraction from bananas that were overripe, and instead of putting them in the bin I put them out on the garden wall.

Quite a magnet, the insects soon sought them out, and before long they were quickly recycled.

There have been plenty of brambles, but there is a dearth of sloes on the blackthorn, after last year when they were dripping with fruit, it is a disappointment this year.

I will have to go further afield to try and find some fruit so we have a supply of sloe gin for Christmas.

Rosemary Roach