Beautiful butterflies in my garden, Malvern, Worcester.

Cabbage White butterfly

I have at last found the secret to photographing butterflies. I have been trying to photograph the butterflies in my garden for weeks but they kept flying off before I could focus the camera. If you go out first thing on a sunny morning they haven't yet warmed up enough to fly off as quickly as they do later on. Using this tip, hurrah I finally got some decent pictures. Hope you like them.

Peacock butterfly and a Bee

The garden they were enjoying

Romantic Roses, Malvern gardens, Worcestershire.

Roses are very much the traditional flower of the English country garden. Climbing, standard, bush and traditional forms, all are beautiful. They come in every colour and grow reliably. Dead head them once they bloom has passed it's best, and you prolong the number of flowers and length of flowering period. Enjoy these pictures of some of my roses.

Lovely Lillies, Lilium, Malvern, Worcestershire.

A warm start to August has really helped my lilies bloom magnificently. Grown from bulbs, these flowers are frost hardy and once planted require little from you to ensure they flower spectacularly every year. The only real problem I have faced is the lily beetle. This beetle is a jewel bright red colour when in its adult form. If you spot them you must remove them by hand and destroy. The beetles are quite pretty and easy to spot, but their young cause amazing amount of damage and will eat not only the flowers and leaves, but also bury down and devour the bulb. They are harder to spot, black brown in colour and maggot like, and as a defence they cover themselves with their own poo. Sadly these also need to be picked off by hand and destroyed.  It is all well worth it though as I hope these pictures from my garden show.

Appleby, Cumbria

On Sunday 28th July I visited friends and we went to Appleby in Cumbria. Unfortunately the castle there was shut for the day, but we enjoyed a walk along the river. Rain the night before had swollen the river and the water was rushing past, and quite brown. The day however was lovely and having admired the garden and fountain at the Hospital of St Anne's enjoyed a walk along the river banks and through the wood. I also rather loved the carving near the play area, whilst the children enjoyed the swings and roundabout.

Friend's garden, Maghull, Liverpool.

Day lillies

Happy bees

I visited a friend's garden in Liverpool, and was staggered by the number of bees and butteflies enjoying the sunshine and the many perfect blooms.

A pink  rose covered abour

Liatris with bee

More bee friendly blooms

Window box display

Beautiful moth, Malvern, Worcestershire.

My garden is full of fabulous butterflies, peacock, admiral, orange tips, cabbage white and loads I don't know the name of. Unfortunately they flit around from flower to flower or dance in the air spinning around each other like the DNA helix. This constant movement makes them impossible to photograph. I have spent many hours attempting to sneak up on one or patiently sitting next to the flowers which a few moments before I sat down had been covered in butterflies, waiting for them to return. So far all this effort has been with out success. Which is why I love this moth so much. Not only is it rather stunning compared to the common brown moths, and the markings on its wings look so like love hearts, but it spent all day sitting on my honeysuckle having a snooze. Unfortunately I have no idea the name of the variety, but a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. If you know its's name or have any tips on photographing butterflies please I would love to know.

Garden looking gorgeous, Worcestershire.

Purple clematis

Hosta

Poppy and allium

The bright abundant flowers of spring are

 over,replaced by summers flowers, jewel

 bright and deeply fragrant blooms vying

 with one another for attention.

Scabious blue

Deep orange lily

Light blue allium

Yellow honeysuckle

Fragrant pink honeysuckle

Summerdays

Summerdays

Its beautiful here

Beneath the rose strewn arbour pink

Sit with me a while

And have an ice cool beer to drink.

We can talk for a time

About life and your dreams and the things you think.

Sky azure blue

Honeysuckle scents the air so heavy as to stink.

Enjoy this day

It will last when memories of cold ordinary ones do shrink.

Ephemeral summer

Retained in the heart as precious because it's over in a blink.

Relax, unwind and breathe.

The view is magical and accompanying glasses clink

Its beautiful here

Beneath the rose strewn arbour pink.

By Izzy Silver

Clematis

 Clematis are easy to grow climbing plants, which add height and colour to your garden. They use virtually no room as you just shove them in near the base of whatever it is you wish them to climb up. You can even plant them in pots next to walls and then climb them up trellis or wiring. In my garden they climb up either obelisks, trellis or over my balcony and up through my wisteria. Brilliant flowers for no real effort, though water any in pots in dry weather.