Caterpillars

I'm very fond of butterflies. I love watching them fluttering across the lawn or studding the flowers on my buddleia bush. Every so often one flutters into my greenhouse and bangs against the glass a few times before finding its way back out.

Unfortunately I think one of these butterflies has left me a little present.

Over the past few weeks I've been noticing holes in the leaves of my peppers and tomato plants. The holes have been getting bigger. One day I spotted a hole in one of my unripe tomatoes. I pulled it off, but the hole was empty.

Today I spotted the droppings. Unmistakable caterpillar droppings - and not small ones either!

I tried turning over the leaves but I couldn't see anything. Wherever these caterpillars are hiding they're too clever for me!

I looked in my book under common pests and diseases, but there's no mention of caterpillars eating tomato plants.

They're munching their way through my greenhouse!!

Help!!

August Photo

Look at my Melons!

Hosepipes and Water Meters

I've come home from work early - a trip to the vets needed to remove a tick from the guinea pig's ear. So while the kids are loading him into a box I stroll down to check on my patch of dirt.

"Strange," I think as I approach it. "Someone's watering it."

Then it dawns on me. The kids are behind me in the guinea- pig run. That's the hosepipe! Someone has left it on and the hose has split with the heat and the pressure and there's water spraying everywhere!

A mad sprint up the garden to turn off the tap and I return to survey the damage. The ground is soaking. Fortunately most of the water has gone onto my veg and my squash and sweetcorn are looking very happy.

But that's not the point.

We're on a water meter.

And I'm not looking forward to getting my next water bill.

The guinea pig's fine though and here he is, back in his run, minus tick :-)

Peas - or not!

My first row of peas are almost finished. I've had a good crop and the few my daughter let me eat were really sweet and juicy.

So I'm inspecting my second row of peas to see how they're coming along.

"They're a different variety," says my friend who has called round to check out what I'm growing.

"Yes they are," I say. "Well I bought the first lot already started off from the local hardware store and I grew the second lot from seed."

In fact I bought these seeds loose in the same place I got my pick and mix early potatoes (which makes things quite interesting because I never know exactly what I'm going to find when I dig up a plant).

"Are you sure they're not mangetout?" she says.

I look again.

The pods are very flat. In fact they don't seem to be fattening up at all. Actually she has a point. They do look an awful lot like mange-tout. I break one off and take a bite.

Mmm. I think they are mange tout.

Maybe I should have looked at bit closer at what I was buying. Not that I'm complaining. I like mangetout.

But somehow I'm going to have to break this to the sprog who's expecting a second row of peas!

Bees

Our neighbours have a problem with bees - there's a nest in their shed, bees buzzing in and out.

Luckily I know a man who keeps bees at work, so I mention it to him - suspected honey bees and he has a nice empty hive ready to fill!

So he calls round with all his gear - only it turns out they're not honey bees after all - they're bumble bees.

And here they are:



Shortly before....



Being relocated to their new home in the field at the back.

July's Photo