02/02/2018 Yesterday's photos today! We had a glimmer of sunshine so I headed out into the garden.

Maximum temperature today 7C, minimum -3C. Misty and heavy frost  North Westerly winds; 7 km/h with up to 17 km/h gusts.

We had 7 mm of rain yesterday which brought January's total rain fall to 206 mm.

Hellebore.

Bergenia Cordifolia

Hazel catkins.

Cotoneaster.

Crocus.

Snowdrops with a camellia bud on the far right.

Viburnum.

Fennel.

Parsnips straight from the garden.

20/10/2017 Overcast and no bugs around! The garden seems to have got confused with the weather though.

Maximum temperature 20C, minimum 14C.  14 km/h Southerly winds, 28 km/h gusts. 1 mm of rain measured over night.

Choisya ternata, think this is the third time this has flowered this year!

Zinnia.

The Azalea is in bud...

and so is the camellia.

Marigolds in flower...

and a petunia.

I think this is a hoverfly, the only bug I saw today on the flowering fennel.

Eurasian Collared-Doves (Streptopelia decaocto)

Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)

All the pumpkins have been harvested, but the plants which are still there are flowering again!!

Common speedwell flowering in the lawn!

I was too late for the sunset it vanished as I took this photo.

For those following our South African holiday, Part 6 is now online HERE

06/10/2017 Oil delivery and around the garden.

Maximum temperature 17C,  minimum 10C.  11 km/h NE wind with 34 km/h gusts. I think there was a shower in the early hours this morning but not enough to measure in the gauge.

The heating oil was delivered this morning...

not much room in our road...

and he cannot get in the gate...

the driver watching the level as the tank fills

The same rose, day six....

and the bud which you can see behind yesterday's rose of day 5.

Today's harvest - butternuts 7.8kg (17.2 lb), pumpkins 13.5 kg (30 lbs)  and squash 1.4 kg (3.2 lbs)  (which was one lone self seeded plant).

Crane fly

I just loved the way the sun was catching the fennel.

Speckled Wood.

Sunset before dinner....

and after dinner, probably about 3/4 of an hour between these two photos.

02/08/2017 Photos hard to come by today. I cut the lawn, so all the flowering weeds have gone that the butterflies love!!!

Maximum temperature 31C, minimum 14C.   12 km/h NE winds with 16 km/h gusts.  Dry.

Calendula.

Lonely little petunia......

A not very good photo of a Speckled wood butterfly.

Roses...

White crab spider I think (Misumena vatia)

As above.

Unknown, but I do not like the curled abdomen, bet it stings!

Fennel in the vegetable garden.

Figs.

Granny Smith Apples.

Quinces

Freshly dug potatoes and parsnips.

A squash hiding under the leaves.

Last but not least the moon hiding behind the clouds just as the sun was setting.  A hand held shot.

24/07/2017 A few quick shots in the morning, we have been in Angouleme all afternoon and nowhere where I could take photos!

Maximum temperature 24C, minimum 15C.   24 km/h NW winds with 39 km/h gusts. 13 mm rain measured this morning.

Calendula and bee.

Gatekeeper female -she seems to have a little wing damage....

A different Gatekeeper female....

and a male.

A Shield bug that I cannot identify further!

Bee in a pumpkin flower.

Choisya ternata flowering for the second time this year.

Echeveria....

And the second Echeveria flower that I have had this year

Hydrangea.

Finally in the veg garden - Haricot beans in the front, chard left back, carrots far right back and if you look carefully, you can see the fern from the fennel between the carrots and haricot....

Spring onions in the front and more carrots behind....

and under all this green are some excellent parsnips.

Sunflowers by the side of the road en route to Angouleme.