Butterfly Bonanza

I spent a lovely afternoon at Freshwinds Garden today.

It was warm and very peaceful, just an occasional bray from the donkeys and the buzz of bees.

Everything was basking in sunshine.

Apples ripening....

..... sunflowers sunning....

.......damsons dangling.....

......plums plummeting (or will be soon).....

..... tortoises trundling.

And as always campers camping.

How I love to hear the excited voices, as they discover things in the garden.....(albeit mainly animals and not my flowers!!)

I changed the water trough.

The dahlias were a mistake....not enough room for the roots.

They are now in the raised bed.

I replaced them with geraniums and two huge busy lizzies in a sale at Ed`s Nursery in Staplecross.

I visited yesterday and I`m sure it will be the subject of another blog entry... I had a great time there. 

In the polytunnel I felt as if I was in a tropical garden, surrounded by insects and myriads of butterflies. I was rather intent on getting good photographs and before I knew it I was dripping both from perspiration and condensation. 

The growth is phenomenal.

Just look at the morning glories, now touching the ceiling and spreading.

The tomatoes weighing down the branches.

And lots more to come.

A stray shoofly plant from somewhere...

..... and tobacco plants from somewhere.

All getting along nicely.

Seriously, some of the morning glories will have to be trimmed back soon as they are shading the ripening tomatoes.

Perhaps the butterflies are attracted by the colourful entrance.

And despite the season, things still looking good.

 I came home with runner beans, tomatoes, plums and several seedlings to pot up.

Delightful.

Freshwinds is a little bit of heaven.