PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE
Hebes, anemones and liquidambar
My week in photos
Welcome back to my week in photos.
I have started my week with my lead photo, which is my favourite tree species, the liquidambar. Also known as the sweet gum tree, it is truly a beautiful tree with its maple-like foliage and turning the most spectacular colours in the autumn.
They may have a slightly invasive reputation, but I still love them all the same. I’d be interested to know what my Medium friends over on the East Coast of the US think, as these trees are native to that region.
They really are a sight to behold with their orange, red, and even purple foliage in the fall.
Here is my little sidekick out for his evening walk on Monday. He loves walking down this lane, and in that way, he is not like any other chihuahua I’ve ever known. He will walk for miles, in the rain, getting muddy; he doesn’t mind at all. As long as he has smells to sniff, he is happy.
He goes with me everywhere. He is my shadow, but I love that. Being so small, he is very portable. He is a wonderful companion and such a funny little creature.
I could not be without a dog in my life.
A plant delivery at work on Tuesday, and look at these lovely anemones. A wonderful late summer perennial, it is a prolific and long-lasting flowerer.
This particular variety is called ‘Fantasy Jasmine’ and check out all those flower buds. It is hardy, yet graceful and noble.
Another dog walk on Wednesday and a very autumnal scene down the lanes.
The lime trees are still hanging on, but the chestnuts have given up many of their leaves. They have been suffering for a while now from a leaf-mining moth, which affects their foliage. That, coupled with the drought, has resulted in the early leaf drop.
At work on Thursday and I was captivated by my favourite butterfly, the Painted Lady. This beauty was spending lots of time on the buddleia, gathering nectar.
It is not long now until these sophisticated migrants will start their journey south to the African continent for the winter. They travel at high altitudes, out of sight of us humans, but what is even more amazing is that it takes several generations of this butterfly to make the journey.
Six generations of this species are needed to make the trip from Africa to the UK in the summer and then back to Africa in the autumn. Instinct is needed by this little creature, as they cannot learn from previous generations how to find their way.
Nature is quite simply wonderful.
Another plant delivery at work on Friday and in came the hebes. They are lovely plants and attract so many bees and butterflies.
I’ve always thought that hebes are a wonderful plant for the garden. So when I came home from work that evening, I wrote a little article for The Daily Cuppa about them, Hebes for your Garden.
I’m enjoying experimenting with writing shortform stories, trying to say everything I want to say in 150 words. It’s really fun.
Saturday and a weekend off from work, bliss! I wanted to get on with work in my own garden, catching up with all those gardening jobs I never normally have time to do.
The only thing was I couldn’t concentrate on my gardening, because there were so many dragonflies in the garden. They come out every year at about this time in late summer and there must be hundreds at one time. They come out when the weather is warm and sunny, to hunt and to mate.
It is very hard to get a good picture of them, as they are so fast. But every now and then, one lands, and I rush over with my camera (gardening forgotten). I managed to get a picture of this one when she landed; she is a female Common Darter. I also spotted a male too, the most beautiful shade of red he was.
Another week and another sunset. I really do not know where the weeks go; they fly by so quickly. Soon the sun will be setting so early, in the late afternoons, that I might not be able to get so many photos of the sunsets.
So I will just enjoy these late summer sunsets while I can.
From my dog and I, have a great week, folks.
And as always, a big thank you to Dennett. This was part of the Photo-a-Day Challenge started by Dennett back in 2020, over at Weeds & Wildflowers. I’m really enjoying being a part of it. There are so many wonderful contributors, all sharing and writing about their daily lives, observing and preserving. Please let me know if I’ve missed anyone. Thank you for reading.
Dennett, Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages, Sandra B, Jane Frost (Jane Grows Garden Rooms), Barb Dalton 🇺🇦, Kim Zuch, Erika Burkhalter, Scott Younkin, Penny Grubb, Tracy Aston, Sasha Meyer, Eileen Vorbach Collins, Gustavo Mendez, Susan Alison, Shruthi Sundaram, June Nguyen, Barbara Radisavljevic, Diana Lotti, Juan O. Aguilera, Olive Wilson, Anne Bonfert, Mia Verita, LensAfield, Shell Parsons
If you enjoyed this article and want to support me as a writer, why not consider signing up to become a Medium member with my referral link here. It’s only $5 a month and gives you unlimited access to stories on Medium. Thank you!
Please subscribe to my new Substack newsletter for gardening tips and weekly jobs to keep you busy in the garden.
