Some pictures of the flowers we see some years in May, which I believe to be early purple orchids.





Take care,
Sophie

The weekend once more! Spring has faltered in it's progress with these cold, cold nights but we should now be all in the clear. No doubt this harvest time we'll see if full where the casualties lay. For us it's the fruit trees who upon brief inspection look scant. Potatoes and beans have been wiped out on other allotment plots as well as a few summer flowers.
However, we're at the turning point whereby we can, with confidence, say things are on the up.
Don't you love finding a hole in a hedge to peer through.
I think the above is common dogwood, I see it in so many hedgerows but nobody ever speaks of it. Unlike hawthorn or hazel.



Above, Wild Mignonette. I don't see this very often but I appreciate how distinctive it is and therefore identifiable. It reminds me of baby corn with those flowers.

Aha, above looks like Hound's-tongue. Not really noticed this before or possibly thought it was just a gnarly comfrey.
Above, speckled wood butterfly.
Below, I'd say this is Bugloss.
Reach for the stars.
Take care,
Sophie

I'm bubbling with anticipation at the thought of a sunny weekend in which I can get planting out. Last night must, MUST, have been the last frost of the year so I have plenty to get planted out and a complete greenhouse re-jig. Photographs today are from goodness knows when; I've long since lost track of what happened and when but most of the oil seed rape has finished round our way now but these were clearly taken on a lovely day of blue skies and sunshine.


 Black medick






 Water avens!


Take care, and have a wonderful weekend. Stay safe!

Sophie

I left a comment for Hazel the other day about life feeling now quite normal in the bubble that we're in. Now that there have been a few weeks to acclimatise (full of ups and downs of course) it does feel like more of a constant rather than a shock to the system. I'm not one for going into shops particularly. Yes, I enjoy charity shopping and used to go through the rigmarole of grocery and town shopping weekly but since lockdown I think all I've done is pop into a garage once or twice and the cobbler as a favour. C has born the brunt of the rest though doesn't seem to mind. I haven't missed going out like that, in fact I've been pleased that the need hasn't arisen.
I'm sure the lockdown has been very hard on people who enjoy the company of others and just heading out to be in company, especially for those who live alone. I've not felt that pang of distance. Through regular visits to the allotment; inevitable exchanges of news across fences and my online bootcamp or even pre-recorded workouts I feel like all my 'social' boxes remain ticked. Of course, I've kept in touch with family so they can never be shaken off for long.

 I did feel tempted to write a lengthy post about how I feel about the new 'steps' out of lockdown but it feels so heated out there from all sides I can't be bothered to shout my thoughts over the noise. Honestly, it feels like most people are yet to understand or accept the facts.

• Covid 19 will not be going away soon, if ever. 
• The economy relies on continuation, the government have already spent out more than they could ever afford on the pause
• It's the NHS not being overloaded that we locked down for, not to keep us safe
• The disease could affect anyone, you may catch it and be fine, or it may kill you off
• In the short term we have to personally make a decision about our own actions. Whether it's worth the risk to do each thing. Yes we all need groceries and medication. No, we do not need to see friends and family or have a day at the beach. 
• Each person has a different situation with work and while they are supposedly working on ways to make environments safER they cannot be completely safe unless we are all walking around in HASMAT suits.
• In the long run - who knows. We may well never be able to live as 'before' or we could well do, only with the omnipresent risk of catching this disease but that being an accepted possibility.

So each bubble is going to look different. You may have to adjust your own lifestyle to make a safer or more workable bubble but a bubble it shall have to be for a while.

Take care,
Sophie

I can't decide if these are a small white or a large white. Short of getting my ruler out and measuring whether it's 5 or 6cm wingspan I can't really decide which one it would be. To photograph it milling around the black medick and feeding was a pleasure.




 Shabby old peacock. Is it rude to call a butterfly moth-eaten?


Above, this tiny butterfly was fluttering here and there, leading me on a merry dance until finally settling down to land. However, none of the images in my book look quite like it. The closest I'd say is a gatekeeper which ought to have a twin eyespot though this has just one... No, wait, second thoughts it could be a small heath. In fact, I'm almost sure of it.
Speckled wood. I thought this might be a variation but in fact it's just a lovely clear pattern in good light. I do love it's scalloping to the edge of wings.
Take care,
Sophie

The long weekend was a puzzler, with two hot days and a wintry one. I'd set my heart on getting the allotment all up to date with weeding (impossible- ish) but the gales and intermittent drizzle put me right off yesterday. I finally finished up my painting of the hawthorn tree in the garden which has been two years in the making. Yes, that's how long I'd put off getting it completed, shocking. There's a part of me which is convinced I want to paint. I do, I really do BUT I have not only no idea how to paint but also I feel guilty about wasting time on that that I could or should be spending outdoors.
Yesterday, with it's horrible weather on a mid May day with the tree in full blossom, the way it was when I started the painting two years ago was the perfect time to dedicate to a little artistry. In fact it took virtually no time at all to finish that one so I decided to start another much smaller piece but that's another story.
Here's some pictures from some day recently.

 Yellow archangel

 Super speedwell and greater stitchwort - love the blue with the white, so pretty.

 Trees growing out of trees
 Chickweed and below red campion

 Thick sleeves of hawthorn blossom

 The first dog rose out! You saw it here first.
 Curious lunches webbed to branches?
 Bluebells and views

 Hedge mustard putting in an appearance.
 Vetch. Common.

 Common bird's foot trefoil above and below possibly black bryony with those glossy heart shaped leaves.

Black medick above and lovely to see red clover below though sadly such a notable lack of this in years before.

Take care,
Sophie