Jane Aston, painter.

I have never grown these before, I think this is a Zinnia. I began doing this post yesterday afternoon as the rain began again. As I am writing we are having more rain. I have slowly come to see the farm not just with areas for growing vegetables but as a place I can indulge my love of flowers, plants and encouraging nature to thrive. I am slowly creating small gardens everywhere. Obviously there are limits to where I can go with the sheep and geese that will eat plants very quickly but with a few fenced off areas I am gradually making my way through brambles, bracken and just generally areas that became dumping grounds. 

I bought a little bar-be-que from a Brocante last weekend. I think it was one  for the workers in the field. It's a bit like the ones you get in those big garden centres and home stores, but it has a lid and a drawer for the ashes.

A moth I found in an upturned flower pot. 

One of the many new flowers I have this year. I bought a tub of seeds for bees and butterflies from Lidl.  Apart from not really broadcasting the seeds very far reaching there seems to be a good variety of plants including a lovely deep red clover and lots of Fleur de Cou Cou. I think these might be Corn
Cockles.

Mullein Caterpillar.

More seeds from Lidl

Our pond has been stripped of weed and all the creatures we once had  are invisible, the 3 ducks have  eaten and scared away whatever there was there. However there are tiny frogs everywhere. It 's a bit disconcerting because I'd hate to be treading on them. I hope they carry on living in my garden although I get the impression they are off on a mission to the lake.

Cerinthe from seed to place in old metal oil drums because are they great hanging out of large pots and provide pollen for bees.I've also got them along the base of the shed around paths.