"Don't look now.....

..I'm right behind you"

A lyric by Laurie Anderson from "Pictures" on the excellent Brian Eno/Peter Schwalm album 'Drawn from Life'

Over the weekend the garden group were very busy.  Activities were curtailed for a while with the unexpected arrival of two intruders. A disturbance behind the eco-loo revealed a Velociraptor. These dinosaurs hunted by stealth.  Sudden movement had to be avoided!

The Velociraptor

Amongst the ferns more disturbance revealed a stalking T Rex. Luckily it was walking away from us

The stalking T Rex

Once calm had resumed the group continued with the gardening. The vegetable area is slowly coming along and with the warmer weather the plants are growing well.

The Pak Choi- netted because the Pigeons have developed a taste for it!

 Carrots, Beetroot,Cos lettuce, Turnips and Swiss Chard all doing well

The Desiree potatoes are in flower

The Runner Beans are finally climbing up the bamboos

In the flower beds blue is the colour of the month. A dazzling display from the geraniums and the campanulas is attracting a lot of bees into the garden

Geranium 'Rozanne'

Dwarf campanula

Tall bellflower with stunning blooms

It is hoped that the variety of campanulas now growing in the garden will attract the small black bee which feeds on these species.  We have not recorded it to date but are hoping that it will turn up pretty soon.

By the Stumpery the wild dog-rose has flowered.  A simple flower but very attractive

The Dog-Rose

The Tree ferns are doing well well thanks to a lot of regular watering which is essential in the first year of planting.  The trunks are like giant sponges and take in a lot of water.  This makes sure that the plant takes root and also provides for the growing of the magnificent fronds.

Tree fern fronds

The evening sun back lighting the tree fern

During the gardening our Robin often became very friendly perching as close to us as possible as we disturbed the ground.  It quickly nipped in for small caterpillars and other wriggly things!  It was feeding  youngsters just over the fence

In the World War 2 garden the James Grieve apple tree has plenty of fruit on his year

Fruit on the James Grieve apple tree

As the garden group packed up for the day there was a noisey disturbance behind the eco-loo.  The Velociraptor had woken up!

Time to go!