Butterfly

Scottish_garden_plum_and_pear_trees_ August_2024 — A promising harvest awaits. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Hello again. It certainly feels like the season is beginning to change here in central Scotland. The daylight hours are shortening and there is a distinct nip in the early morning and late evening air.

Ripening_pears_plums_and_apples_late_August_2024 — Ripening orchard fruit. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Really happy to see so much fruit on the pear, apple and plum trees this year. It must have been all the rain we have had. Not long to wait until the picking starts 🙂 I have already harvested a few potatoes, and a few greenhouse tomatoes and French beans. Such a treat, and there is plenty more to come.

Late_Summer_garden_produce — Garden and greenhouse treasures. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Around the garden, there are still some signs of Summer like the orange lupin flowering for the third time, and such a large bloom. Usually the second and third flowers are small, but this one is a real beauty.

Late_Summer_orange_garden_flowers — Late Summer flowering Crocosmia and a late blooming Lupin. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Scottish_garden_Lacecap_Hydrangea — Lovely Lacecap Hydrangea. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

And the bees are still very busy, especially around the Echinops and Golden Rod.

Scottish_garden_bees_in_the_sunshine — Busy bees in the sunshine. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

But you know the season is changing when the first Autumn crocus emerges in a darker corner of the garden, and the late flowering heathers are in full flower.

Late_August_2024_Autumn_crocus — Delicate lilac crocus blooms. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Scottish_Autumn_heather_August_2024 — Scottish Autumn heathers. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

A few nights ago, as the daylight was fading, a new visitor came up the driveway and started tucking into the fallen sunflower seeds from the bird feeder. He/she stood on their hindlegs to reach a few seeds caught on the stone wall. You’ll see it is quite a chunky fellow, and is obviously finding enough food to keep its strength up:) The other image is of a magnificent Peacock butterfly absorbing the warmth from the sandstone wall outside my office the other day. What a beauty.

Garden_hedgehog_and_sunbathing_Red_Admiral_butterfly — Night and day time visitors. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

My final images this month are of the Rowan tree in the back garden which has been quite bereft of berries for several years. This year it is laden, and so much so that they are beginning to fall to the ground before the birds have started to eat them!

Scottish_garden_Rowan_tree_Laden_with_berries — Ripe Rowan berries. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

That’s me for another month. See you in September! Thanks and best wishes until then.

Red_Acer_trees_(Japanese_Maples)

Looking down the driveway from my office window I can see the wonderful shades of an Acer tree. As the seasons change the foliage turns from bright, lush green in spring, to more coppery tones in summer and now, the leaves are shades of rich red and brown.

There is still a lot of green in the garden, but now that the pinks and blues of the summer borders have faded, it is the time of year when the reds flowers and shrubs really stand out.

Deep_red_anirrhinum — Antirrhinum. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

The fine specimen above was planted last year and has been producing flower stems for several weeks. It’s still going strong, adding a splash of colour to a flower-bed which was alive and vibrant with lupins a few weeks ago. The Antirrhinum is a nostalgic plant for me; we had them growing in most of my family gardens as I grew up. I used to think that the flower heads looked like little faces staring up at me from the borders.

The Fuchsia bushes have also been in flower for a while. This dainty variety grows in front of a magnificent Cotoneaster horizontalis, which is splayed out against a wall. Together the two plants look very bright and bold, one in front of the other. The Cotoneaster is laden with berries which tend to stay in place throughout the winter – for some reason the birds aren’t that interested in them.

Fuschia_flowers_with_morning_dew — The ballerina-like petals of a Fuchsia. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Cotoneaster_berries_and_branches — Cotoneaster horizontalis. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Another later flowering plant in the garden is Lyceteria, more familiarly known as Pheasant Berry. Occasionally there has been a pheasant in the garden but I have yet to see one anywhere near this bush. The unusual flowers last a long time, and look like a succession of dark red lampshades hanging from a thin red cord.

Pheasant_berry_or_Lycetera_formosa — Lyceteria Formosa (Pheasant Berry). Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Apart from the flowers and foliage, there is also red colour from late ripening fruit. The Autumn raspberries are not as prolific as the earlier variety I grow, but it is lovely to be picking berries at this time of year. The last of my blueberry bushes is in fruit, but it is the leaves and stems that offer so much at the moment; on a dull day, the vivid red is a sight to behold. The little red apples were picked just after I took the image. Just five small fruit on a miniature tree, but crisp, sweet and delicious with every bite.

September_late_fruiting_raspberries_with_Autumn_blueberries_and_mini_red_eating_apples — Autumn raspberries, blueberries and miniature eating apples. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

To finish my red-themed post this week, while I was taking these pictures, I came across two aptly named butterflies having a bit of a stand-off on the white Hydrangea bush. One clapped its wings together as soon as I got the camera out and couldn’t be tempted to open them again. The other fellow was more obliging and sat there for quite a while as I clicked away. It wasn’t until later on that I realised the poor thing only had one antennae. Until next time, enjoy the Autumn shades 🙂

Red_Admiral_butterflies_on_white_Hydrangea_flowers — Red Admiral butterflies. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

My Virtually Free-from Kitchen

Welcome to my blog all about the things I love to grow and cook. You'll find a collection of seasonal gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly recipe posts, as well as a round up of my gardening throughout the year. I wish you good reading, happy cooking and perfect planting!

It’s beginning to feel a bit like Autumn….

Late September colours