Garden Gallery

Here is a bit of the stuff that's living in our garden in Peterborough. The garden is a fair size for one attached to a house reasonably near the centre of the city, measuring c150feet (at the longest) by about 50feet. We have two main gardening principles which are:
a. Leave/create a decent-sized lawn space for play and lying about
b. Leave the rest for wildlife
There are some modifications to these plans, especially that we have a few fruit trees (apple, plum and fig) which we harvest to a certain extent, and that we have put in getting on for 100 saplings to make a 'native' hedge. One day, we will get a pond, but not until the children are a bit older and less likely to drown.
Here is some of the stuff we have in our garden.


A hoverfly (Episyrphus sp.) on a chicory flower, July 2004.


We have seen/heard 70 species of bird from the garden, but have relatively few mammals on the list. Red Foxes are regular (judging by their droppings, and the odd baby hedgehog ripped to pieces on the lawn), but rarely seen. This one came to some food put out for the birds and is taken on full zoom (not digiscoped!) from the kitchen, July 2004.


Hedgehog on compost heap, July 2004.


Dandelion clock and aphid, June 2004.


Aphids on rhubarb flowers, June 2004.


Leafcutter bees love a particular field maple in the garden, helping themselves to bits of the leaves. One day, I will catch one nibbling, and photograph it for this website, July 2004.


This Comma butterfly was basking on a tiny hazel sapling, no more than 18inches tall, which my daughter has as her "favourite tree". My official favourite tree is a wee hazel nearby, which though at least three years old is only a foot high (a natural bonsai hazel!). July 2004.


The Cinnabar caterpillars are getting fatter and bigger on the ragworts (note the poo!), July 2004.


One of our roses, July 2004.