Echinops, the flowers have such wonderful form, one has to try to forgive, or hide, the bedraggled late-season foliage. August 11th.
August 29th bees are enjoying the open Echinops flowers.
Mint in flower is fantastic for bees and butterflies.
The small pond, August 30th.
Heron at the big pond, August 30th.
The Swamp cypress, Taxodium distichum, at the big pond is drawing my eye at the moment with its soft lush foliage.
August 29th bees are enjoying the open Echinops flowers.
The bed at the small tunnel, forget aesthetics, this is a bee feast! Sedum, Stachys, oregano, monarda, Aster...
Cosmos, Allium and poppy, the bees are happy.
I found it hard to capture this on camera. One of the Stachys byzantina, lamb's ears plants was covered with baby shield bugs.
Another day, Alfie spent half an hour dead-heading the Stachys byzantina, lamb's ears, with the utmost absorption.
He also put all the dead heads into his wheelbarrow and took them away!
This is the top of the Eucryphia x nymansensis, it is covered with blossom and alive with honey bees, such an uplifting sight and sound.
Magnolia grandiflora, Bull Bay, in bud. August 26th.
Magnolia grandiflora, Bull Bay a different flower open, August 26th. Not everything here is for bees and butterflies!
