Happy Birthday, Sue.
Trapping is so slow at the moment, April is usually reasonably productive. This handsome Lesser Swallow Prominent was new for the year. The pale triangle or cheese wedge helps to distinguish it from Swallow Prominent.
There are fewer Orthosias so the catch is more varied. Only 13 moths but 6 species this morning. Early Grey, Muslin and Brindled Beauty are always welcome. The Ps had a lovely Lime Hawkmoth in their Briston trap yesterday. We get about one a year if we're lucky. Early too.
My tomato seedlings, well-tended by Pam, are ready to plant in the leanto greenhouse. I need the propagator for the Sweetcorn, French and Runner Beans which are sprouting in damp compost in a poly bag.
With the addition of compost and fertiliser, the soil is rather piled up. To be dealt with later.
Pam's assistance was invaluable in passing plants etc.
The large plant pots next to the plant make watering easier and much more efficient as the wet goes directly to the roots. In hot weather, the concrete slabs are wetted and the plants sprayed to produce the necessary moist air.
I've planted 4 Ferline, two Big Daddy and two Sungold cherry. A few spares were gratefully accepted by neighbours. I haven't grown far too many this year !! I just can't bear to throw good seedlings away.
We had another go with the Emperor moth lure on Friday, Another blank.
The Nuthatch and both Jays are regular visitors to the feeders as well as Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits. I hear the Marsh Tit, which always calls as it approaches - and then disappears into the shrubbery. When the Goldfinch mob is here, The Twitters, other birds disappear. They are very aggressive, but a Greenfinch braved a feeding perch at the sunflower hearts yesterday.
Pam went ot fetch my camera from the greenhouse and used it to take another photo of the alpine irises this morning, light rain falling - at last.
I re-planted my Saxifrage trough last Autumn, mostly in order to get rid of the Bitter Cress which had tightly permeated all the plants.
The Dianthus in the front trough are new this spring, a special offer from Thomson and Morgan when I bought my seeds.
Having removed a lot of overgrown and past their best plants from the raised Alpine bed, it was a good reason to order some new ones. I had a lovely time looking at Potterton's (Alpine specialists, nursery in Lincolnshire) catalogue and website. The bulbs will not be dispatched until the Autumn but the plants will be with me shortly. I may regret the size of the order when it comes to planting them!
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