Jan’s Garden

Three years ago, Jan began to build a garden in our small backyard. She was constrained to using plant pots and troughs and her plan was to incorporate as many wild flowers as possible to attract insects to our urban area. In between them, she added a variety of cottage garden flowers and all her hard work paid dividends this year. Among the wildflowers she has at the moment are cornflowers, musk mallow, verbena, fox and cubs, wild wallflowers and red valerian. Interspersed with these, she has chosen petunias, impatiens, fuchsia, hydrangea and foxgloves.
So far this year we have had the pleasure of seeing gatekeeper, ringlet, holly blue, large white and red admiral butterflies as well as white-tailed and honey bees among others, and lots of hoverflies. But as far as we are concerned, the star of the show this year so far, has been the little hummingbird hawkmoth which appeared this week in our backyard. In the past we have driven to Chambers Farm Wood in Lincolnshire to see these little insects so it was an enormous treat that one came to see us.
For me, the bonus is that, after all Jan’s hard work, I get to relax in the cool of the evening with a gin and tonic in the wonderful world she has created.