Butterflies come in 'herds'...

It looks like this is the season to turn into butterfly.

So if you plan to do so, consider 'now' as the best time. In my garden they suddenly appeared - according to the information now is the time they emerge.
The butterfly pictured on the upper picture with a beautiful name Enachis io, is very common here in my garden. They are fed on Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and as I decided to keep some growing in non disturbing areas of the garden, they are encouraged to be the inhabitants, not visitors.

Yesterday when I was sitting outside and reading, 2 of them came to me and sat on my arms.

Two new kinds appeared also. The left one it is Mourning Beauty (US), Camberwell Beauty (UK) or Nymphalis antiopa. On the right one you can see The Comma (Polygonia c-album).
I have spotted Mourning Beauty few days ago - this is easy to understand after you see how it is flying - large wings make themy fly with dignity. It's large wings that can spread up to 9 cm and that makes it one of the largest butterflies in Poland.
I couldn't take picture earlier, because it was always escaping. They are shy butterflies.
This morning I was very lucky - it allowed me to come very, very close.
I was wondering why it does not come seat on flowers, but keeps returning either to the bench or to the branches of the trees, so I digged the subject.
Things became clear: they prefer tree saps or fermenting fruits - I have plenty of cherries that we didn't use and they fall to ground. Many critters are fed with it :)

Isn't it posing nice to the picture? Unfortunately it didn't want to open the wings for picture.

White storcks - live stream transmission from the nest!

I just discovered a great project of watching the White storcks nest, which is located in Poland in Przygodzice (click on the name to see the location on Google Maps)

Transmission is really live and refreshed every 2-3 seconds - interesting to see. Don't miss it.
Storcks are leaving Poland at the end of August and fly to Africa, where they spend the winter and again turn back to Poland in the spring.

More information on th eproject in English is available here.

Here is the link to live transmission: White Storck Nest Watch.

Bugs - how to learn who is visiting your garden?

Today at the start of the day... hmmm... I just realise how habits are changing. One year ago, at this season, I used to have my morning coffee in the garden. Today after walking slowly down the stairs to kitchen, having my banana, making coffee, grabbing the mug and open a laptop to see what is going on outside of my virtual window while sitting at the real window. I love to blog from my living room where through a big window I can see some garden and SKY, I can hear the water flowing at the pond and happy birds announcing the start of the day.

Neighbours' house is slowly dissapearing in the abundance of growing trees. While still having no terrace or porch, living room with wide open window is my best solution. But - just came to my mind - even if there would be a porch, probably I would not take my laptop there for obvious reason - it is too bright outside to feel comfortable with reading. This must be just a little cheating when you see pictures of a guy seating on the beach in Bahamas, having his laptop... eee... why they don't show girls doing same? Anyone have seen a woman in similar situation?

So I surfed on the net this morning - jumping from one blog to another - sometimes getting off the course with the links that carry me there.

One discovery today made me really happy. A new blog. And about bugs! By entomologist! Wizzie Brown at Urban IPM is bringing closer the world of these critters. Oh my goodness. Finally. Thank you Pam/Digging for spreading the news.

As there is less heavy work in the garden and garden matures, there is more interesting species appearing.

I would like to know which of them are which. Some are good some are bad, but recognising them or searching the info is just a pain if you don't know any single part of the name.

Urban IPM will be definately a blog to read.

Second surprise I discovered on Carol's blog May Dreams Gardens. In one of the last Carol lists gardener's favourite movies. One of them 'Secret Garden' is directed by Polish movie director Agnieszka Holland. And that made little ashamed, cos I have not seen the movie - this made want to change it immediately.

Another movie by her is Copying Beethoven with Ed Harris in main role. Worth to spend your priceless time on it.

Have a nice Sunday!

Ewa

Tagged twice lately - Psst! - I am a bad girl.

I know there is somebody in the blogosphere wondering why I promised to play and I don't. Actually it is even worse. I forgot who tagged me - which I am very sorry for - and it is not a comfortable feeling.
I am not going to list now my excuses.
There is only one - I got very involved in my private project of learning video production software :) This dragged me away from gardening and garden blogging.
What shall I do now?
Participate, even if already over one month have passed?
I will search the comments - probably I will find who tagged me.

Second tagging was made by Violet at Lady Greethumb's Garden. Violet you reminded me about the previous tagging :)

Six things you didn't know about absent-minded gardener from Poland:

1. I got glued to my laptop - soon I will see some special signs of organic adaptation on my hands and laps. Is it already addiction? Hard to admit.

2. I rediscovered biking - after many years of break, I got on bike again and I love it. My speed gets faster and faster.

3. After we moved to Komorów, I decided to not install any satelite TV - in order to encourage my family to spend time outdoor. I was successful - it got installed just 2 weeks ago and it is watched just very rarely.

4. My gardening interest was hiding deep for my entire life - it woke up just like enlightment comes - suddenly and unexpectedly.

5. I love black as my cloth color. I know different colors and I decide sometimes to buy different clothes, but while shopping the only clothes I like or I think are worth to buy, or fits me, at the end are usually black. I haven't made clothes shopping for some time, because I decided to consume what I have in my wardrobe first before getting anything new. At the end how many black skirts you need? I have in minority some other colors, and that's enough for now.

6. I discovered I am romantic, which I was denying for many years, or not denying, but something has change. I don't know. What do you think? Could it be just 'discovered'? or you just change while being in the journey of developing your talents and growing your spirit?

I will tag people, that find very interesting and would like to learn more about them.
My tagged friends are:
1. Kathryn at Plant Whatever Brings You Joy
2. Victoria at Teachings of the Horse
3. Billy at Garden Wise Guy
4. Pam at Digging
5. Lynda at Garden Girl

Please feel free to participate.

The guidelines are as follows:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on the blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Greetings,

Ewa

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - July 2008

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day came again and the garden is full of blooms. First, roses are constantly present in my summer garden. Currently still Graham Thomas is blooming, on the picture above.
The Pink Fairy

My lilies and daylilies. The huge lily 1,70 cm - that yellowish on the right side just started to bloom.

Its flowers are huge and having very strong fragrance. It fills the front garden!

Do you remember 'double' liliy that I have bought in February? So, like it often happens, plants get mislabelled. This lily is not 'double', but still beautiful. Right?

Hydrangeas are opening its flowers again...

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Daylily 'Pink Damask'

Fuchsia -summer beauty

Two different colours of Zinnias.



Tagetes erecta - isin't it American Marigold?

Lavatera trimestris - white one...

...Nasturtium is first time growing in my garden ...

Calendula officinalis

Lonicera periclymenum Serotina

My lavandula appeared to be of 3 different kinds. The left one is Lavandula angustifolia - the most aromatic, that I grew from a seed - but the other ones I did not identify yet...

Astrantia major - just newcomer. This is the only flower it producethis year.

White pelargonium in the basket...

Monarda didyma...

My first Cucurbita pepo var. giraumontia (yellow flower left down corner) growing in the flowerdbed....

...and Echinacea also a newcomer....

GBBD is a tradition started by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Watering and astrological gardening

Can you imagine what I just have read today in my horoscope for today? I read it sometimes, but today it drew my attention to garden, that I have abandoned lately - my "dog days" came, when I think rather about changes that should be done in my garden, than I am willing to maintain it and see the current beauty.

I know the beauty is not gone anywhere, it is still here. That weird feeling is somehow connected with very dry spell we have since May and the need of almost "constant" watering.

So here goes hy horoscope for today:

"Water your plants today and make sure they are getting enough light, Ewa. If you don't have any plants, take this opportunity to go to the nursery and pick up a couple for your home or office. Nourish the organic things in your life to help remind you of your own roots, which are extremely important for you right now. Sink deep into the earth in order to understand the environment around you."

When I red the other day on Robin at Bumblebee blog a question: "how much time weekly you spend on gardening?", I thought 'unfortunately none, lately'... but in a moment... no! watering counts also! Yes, I spent 4-6 hours a week on watering. Not very sustainable gardening, right? Even if I have it on my mind.

The point is that our plants are mainly not drought resistant. Poland is lush green in the summer - for how many more years it will be like this? During May and June we had very little rain - crops and farmers suffered from it.

It looks that our agriculture and gardens should shift little more toward plants that are more drought resistant.

Luckily since few days we had and still have a lot of rain. 2cm of rain in 2 days - that is pretty much.

There are also strong thunderstorms passing over.

Last night it it came suddenly and it got very dark...

... then very bright sometimes and very loud...




It lasted 3 hours and last hour was the peak one - loudest and brightest.
Despite I am happy that plants got some heavy watering - plants in general, not only in my garden.