MY Final Cut!

[Jez]

Anyways the before shots. I will take photos again from the same place next year to compare the before and after shots but wanted to get these up so you can get a feel i hope of what it may look like!

Looking Down. The Butterfly M/Meadow will be in front of the fencing & the Woodland behind.


A view from the rear of my cottage style garden.


Another Angle on the Butterfly Meadow.



Excuse the kitchen which is adhock about 1940 has just had work doing and the house will be a minty green? The Woodland on the left of the path, the Butterfly on the right.


I have made a new gate from the garden to meadow. On either side of the gate this side will be two elder trees growing over. Shot looking up from the spinney.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

What a lovely place you live in....

[Jez]

Thanks ever so. It's so peaceful here all you can hear is the birds in chorus.
That is until the SVR is moving once again. Then when it is the driving school, the enthusiasts just can't let go of the blinking whistle as they appproach the level crossing

[Wiccy]

Wow Jez, what a fantastic place to live. I love the idea of a meadow but sadly dont have anything like the space required.

I have a lovely sunny spot out the front of my house with a Lavender hedge and various Field Scabious which go crazy each summer. The area already attracts butterflies and bees, but since browsing through your meadow planting lists I feel I'd like to add some other bits and pieces in the spring.

My soil is nurient poor, well drained and in full sun. The area is covered in roundstone gravel a couple of inches deep, so when I add plants into the little patch they would be best kept to more contained upright plants rather than a creeping ground cover. I wonder if you could offer me any advice on the best plants to attract butterflies?

Keep up the good work, I can't wait to see more when your meadow springs into life!

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Wiccy

Wow Jez, what a fantastic place to live. I love the idea of a meadow but sadly dont have anything like the space required.

I have a lovely sunny spot out the front of my house with a Lavender hedge and various Field Scabious which go crazy each summer. The area already attracts butterflies and bees, but since browsing through your meadow planting lists I feel I'd like to add some other bits and pieces in the spring.

My soil is nurient poor, well drained and in full sun. The area is covered in roundstone gravel a couple of inches deep, so when I add plants into the little patch they would be best kept to more contained upright plants rather than a creeping ground cover. I wonder if you could offer me any advice on the best plants to attract butterflies?

Keep up the good work, I can't wait to see more when your meadow springs into life!

Thanks Wiccy. I have work in the morning should be back here around 6pm and would love to chat then if thats alright with you? Or i could give you PM. Night Night hope the Devils bit Scabious don't bite?

[Jez]

Home at last, WAB that is!
Thanks Wiccy for the compliments you gave last night. I was stoked to read that you have the field scabious looking beautiful and full of nectar juice for the Bees & Buttterflies i think i have id the plant though the annual mow? The base of the leaves look different to the ones above as you'll know i guess. I managed to buy some wild Majoram for the garden as recommened by a nice WAB member and i can't remember who Everyone on WAB is fantastic & the Meadow Browns have been supping from it aswell as the bees. Last year my Wild flower perenial border was a right party for bees and butterflies- plants included small scabious betony meadow cranesbill, Hummingbird Moth, Comma and Whites all over! I added Devils Scabious in the Autumn and this year there flower has delighted me and the Bees were firsty for it at least, but i know because of the bad summer it wasn't going to be a Butterfly year. Hope to have a Fair Summer 08 to keepthem busy. All the best-Jez P.s Good Nectar Source plants are Dames Violet, Scabious variety's like Macedonia Melton Pinks, Cephalaria, Sweet Wills, Fritillarys like Violets. I think i need to PM you Wiccy

[Jez]

Would just like to say thanks for the amount of Views i have recieved.

[Jez]

Oi get off My Hedge Hog's sleep easy!

[Wiccy]

Thankyou for your reply and suggestions Jez, I think I have a little bit of Google searching to do...

I'm not entirely sure what type of scabious I have, but it sure is pretty and well loved by bees and butterflies. The couple of clumps I have out front have a really thick chunky crown, and are quite early to flower (roughly May). After the plants had dried out and seemingly dropped their seeds, I trimmed them right down to the ground, but have been pretty surprised to see the crowns have risen up again since with fresh green foliage???

I have the same variety of scabious in my back garden, which is more of a shady dank haven... it hasn't done even a quarter as well as the one in poor, dry soil at the front. I'll go and find out what type they are......

I can't wait to see picture of your meadow in bloom next year. I'm sure it will be well worth your efforts and become an inspiration to many!

*sings*"One man went to mow, went to mow a meadow
One man and his dog *woof woof* went to mow a meadow"

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Wiccy

Thankyou for your reply and suggestions Jez, I think I have a little bit of Google searching to do...

I'm not entirely sure what type of scabious I have, but it sure is pretty and well loved by bees and butterflies. The couple of clumps I have out front have a really thick chunky crown, and are quite early to flower (roughly May). After the plants had dried out and seemingly dropped their seeds, I trimmed them right down to the ground, but have been pretty surprised to see the crowns have risen up again since with fresh green foliage???

I have the same variety of scabious in my back garden, which is more of a shady dank haven... it hasn't done even a quarter as well as the one in poor, dry soil at the front. I'll go and find out what type they are......

I can't wait to see picture of your meadow in bloom next year. I'm sure it will be well worth your efforts and become an inspiration to many!

*sings*"One man went to mow, went to mow a meadow
One man and his dog *woof woof* went to mow a meadow"

You could always take a photo of the scabious and post it on the Wildflower board to be identified! One man went to mow with a bottle of pop and a sausage roll went to mow a meadow!