August in the Northern Hemisphere

[ian mcdonald]

My Clematis heracleifolias are the pale ones. I cannot smell the scent but they are a good late summer source of nectar for invertebrates, including bees, hover-flies and butterflies. I hope the IDs are right. Img 1010909 is Bombus ruderatus. Img 1010910 is Episyrphus balteatus. Img 1010911 is Bombus hypnorum. Img 1010913 is Nomada fulvicornis. Every room should have one, Img 1010908 is Tegenaria gigantea.

[Gabriela]

My Clematis heracleifolias are the pale ones. I cannot smell the scent but they are a good late summer source of nectar for invertebrates, including bees, hover-flies and butterflies.

That's one reason I like them too; the hummingbird is also feeding daily on it but I can never catch it on camera.

The first flowers on Iris dichotoma (they open in the afternoon and last till evening), Centaurea triumfettii ssp. stricta from wild collected seeds and, should the gentians fail you, there is always the blue Ceratostigma   

[Robert]

You are the only person I've come across, with your wife, who is thinking about removing a sunroom to make more space for garden. Usually it is the other way about:-)

Lesley,

I guess my wife and I could be considered a bit eccentric, however we are both very excited about having more garden space. We do not see any purpose in keeping a part of our house that we never use and have to expend time and energy cleaning and maintaining. Having a larger garden will be a pleasure in so many ways. The sun room can be completely recycled and reused somewhere else. So this is a win-win situation. 

[Tristan_He]

My Clematis heracleifolias are the pale ones. I cannot smell the scent but they are a good late summer source of nectar for invertebrates, including bees, hover-flies and butterflies. I hope the IDs are right. Img 1010909 is Bombus ruderatus. Img 1010910 is Episyrphus balteatus. Img 1010911 is Bombus hypnorum. Img 1010913 is Nomada fulvicornis. Every room should have one, Img 1010908 is Tegenaria gigantea.

Nice range of insects there Ian, perhaps I will try C. heracleifolia out. It's always a bit of an uphill struggle with clematis here though due to the slugs.

Have you confirmed this as Bombus ruderatus? If so it could be quite significant as it is an uncommon and declining bumblebee. However, it could also be the very similar B. hortorum.

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Tristan, I identified the Bombus using Collins Guide to Insects by Michael Chinery. I concentrated on the colour of the bands so it could be either. I live close to its former range according to the NBN site.

[Tristan_He]

Hi Ian. Bumblebees really are not easy. I did a course on identifying them a few years ago and I came out more confused than when I went in! There are different sexes, cuckoo bees, variability and cryptic species to contend with.

I use the Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland by Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner. I had a blitz a couple of years ago and recorded 8 different bumblebee species in the garden. Maybe I will have another look tomorrow! 

[ian mcdonald]

Sunny and warm here today so I,ll have another look.

[ruweiss]

Several weeks ago I planted this Tremacron aurantiacum from the alpine house to a trough
in the open garden. Now it is in full flower, but I wonder if it survives the next winter.
Daphne jasminea flowers for the second time this year.

[Maggi Young]

Oh Rudi! I wonder if you are being too brave in planting the beautiful Tremacron aurantiacum outside?  I wish you the best of luck with it!

[Hoy]

I had not dared planting Tremacron aurantiacum outside if I had any! But the climate here is harsher I think. Very nice plant

Here is my version of Clematis heracleifolia:




Adiantum pedatum is looking good now. It probably enjoys all the rain here this summer.




Although it is a very common shrub and almost weedy I do like the berries in fall,  Cotoneaster horizontalis:

[shelagh]

Brian and I had a trip to New Barns Bay yesterday.  It's near to Arnside in south Cumbria. It was a bit late in the season but we found Aster tripolium in great numbers. It ranged from 2 inches to about a foot and seemed to love the salt marsh conditions. Also some plants from the edge of the beach which is very difficult in places when the tide/bore in high. It is in limestone country and the limestone pavement and outcrops come right down to the waters edge.

[shelagh]

Never seen so many acorns on one tree.  We also found a well laden crab apple and a large Hawkbit about 3ft tall.  Quite a few Teazles and in the salt marsh along side the pools of seawater a seedpod we were not familiar with.

[shelagh]

Finally we found a 'grass' we hadn't seen or noticed before. It was in flower and came in quite large clumps.

We had lunch perched on one of the rock outcrops but Brian complained that it was a bit too sharp for comfort, he doesn't carry his own padding like me.  Still the view of the Asters was lovely and eventually at 2pm the sun came out.

[Hoy]

Shelagh, IMG3760 may be seaside arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima).

[shelagh]

I must admit I did wonder about that.  Here is a picture I took last year on our trip to Golspie with the SRGC and Ian Christie. Trouble is my reference books often only show a plant in flower, not seed, and in the case of grasses not at all.