With so many different exciting projects going on at the moment, time has flown past and I realised I have not blogged for a week or so… and still have images I took last weekend that I meant to put onto my blog. With a distinct chill in the air tonight and the skies darkening at a mere 7.15pm I cannot believe how quickly Autumn has crept up on us. When the sun shone in the week, it still managed to generate enough heat for me to sit outside with a cuppa, but I know it will only be a few more weeks before my days of sitting outside without a coat will have passed, at least until next spring.
I spent some time last weekend finishing off my green roof on my hub. Although I had planted up about half of the area, I had not managed to heave enough soil up there to finally complete it! The tyres I had used to add extra depth have worked really well and the plants have taken well. I have added a couple more and will plant these up with nectar rich plants for the spring and summer. I have a small gravel area where I can sit as it is a lovely spot with great views and a bark chip area. There is a permanent wooden ladder up the side as I love going up there! There are some logs and some broken pots to provide habitats as well. I will also sprinkle the area with a wild flower mix up there so it should look super in the spring!
I also get a great view of my feeding station from there and the birds don’t seem to notice me up there. A young squirrel made a visit when I was sitting up there last weekend….
The sedums have continued to attract a multitude of insects throughout the week. Their numbers increased mid-week when a sunny day meant that the temperatures rose and on nipping outside to check what was there, I was delighted to see three beautiful red admirals. Being so pristine, I presume they are newly emerged…. very late in the year, but this year has been a poor one for butterflies. I was able to take a few shots of these stunning butterflies. I actually love their underwing more than their upper wing… a stunning mosaic of colours , almost paisley.
I can’t believe I am going to see many more butterflies now so it was a treat to spend some time photographing these wonderful late beauties.