'Tis the Time of Critters

Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus

Hover Fly, Myathropa florae

Green Shield Bug nymph, Palomena prasina.

Garden Spider, Araneus diadematus

Giant House Spider, Tegenaria gigantea We don't suppose there is much else inhabiting the insect hotel, what with Shelob about.

This E_-ovata, redimita morph is about to spin a silken casing around her eggs.

White Ermine Moth caterpillar, Spilosoma lubricipeda. ♥ Fluffy! ♥

A Dotted Border Moth caterpillar, Agriopis marginaria

Dot Moth caterpillar, Melanchra persicariae

Cabbage Moth caterpillar, Mamestra brassicae

Relishing Beans

After the success of the Bay Bean Pickle experiment, we decided to to try making a bean relish. We followed this 'Sweet and Sour Green Beans' recipe posted by The British Larder.

We'll let you know the outcome in four weeks time.

A Celebratory Cake

A fine day to splurge the gooseberry curd.

Beans, Beans and More Beans

We identified this Silver Y, Autographa gamma by the black stripes on either side of its head, it has been feasting on the sweet peas. We've also spotted a couple of the adult moths sheltering amongst the climbing beans nearby.

An exhausted Comma, Polygonia c-album.

A Generous Gift

♥ Munstead Wood ♥ Happy memories.

Sunday Sunshine

♥The first of the Golden Sunrise tomatoes.♥

A Large Skipper (♂),Ochlodes sylvanus, supping on the lychnis coronaria alba.

Every evening the neighbouring apple tree is teeming with a chattering of starlings, which makes evenings in the garden feel a little Hitchcockian at times.

A flutter of Speckled Woods have descended on the tree too, though they seem to spend much of their time in mid-flight territorial squabbles.

Ballading the Last Strawberries and Raspberries

Sigh, 'tis over until next year.

We used Nigella Lawson's Strawberry Ice cream recipe which we halved successfully, Pam Corbin's Raspberry Vinegar recipe (see Strawberry Vinegar; we used a third of the quantities listed) and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Brown Sugar Meringue recipe (to use up the egg whites.)