Summer is over in the meadow

Meadow ready for cutting

All to soon the meadow flowers are over and its time to cut and remove all the dead flowers. The lovely sunny weather has suddenly brought all the flowers to an end ,and the also time  to put the meadow to sleep until the spring just the contractor to cut the Hawthorn  hedges.  Even though the flowers are finished there are still things  to see and the meadow is constantly changing through Autumn and into winter . There will be more bulbs to be sourced and buy and plant seeds to buy and plugs to have ready to plant out next spring

All cut ready to collect

Collecting

Nearly done collected into heaps

Flossie quality control  approves the almost finished job 

Early July flowers updated

Birds foot trefoil
Lotus carnicculatus
2013/m26

Comfrey
 symphytum officiale
2013/m27

Tufted Vetch
Vicia cracca
2013/m38

Dog Rose
  rosa canina
2013/m28

Double Welsh Poppy
 meconopsis cambrica
2013/m29

Single Welsh Poppy
meconopsis cambrica
2013/m30

Wild Garlic ramsons
Allium ursinum
2013/31

Common Chicory
 Cicherium intybus 
2013/m32

Greater knapweed
Centaurea scabiosa
2013/33

Meadow Cransbill,
Geranium pratense
2013/m34

Wild carrot 
Daucus carot 
2013/m35

Oriental  Poppy
Papaver Orientale
2013/m36

Candelabra Primula
 Proliferae primula
 2013/m37

Late JuneFlowers

Creeping Buttercup
Ranunculus Repens\
2013M25

Queen Anns Lace
Cow parsley
Anthrisus sylvastris
2013/M23

Crab Apple
Rumax
2013/M22

Common Sorrel
Rumex acetosa
2013/m24

Comfrey
Symphytum officiale
2013/m20

Apple Blossom
Malus Domestica
2013/m23

June didn't let us down

The meadow didnt let us down in June  a gorgeous show although still late individual flowers to follow. A lot of flowers missing this spring maybe just late . grass getting a bit too strong .I will have to plant more yellow rattle for next year

Just a few of the birds who are nesting with us this year

One  of the five pair of swallows that have made our buildings home for the summer  if I can keep the Kestrel from getting inside the buildings there is a good chance  we could have 60 swallows leaving for africa at the end of the summer 

i

This little chap looks too small to be out on his own yet, but Mum  Knew where he was and is feeding him 

Meadow flowering at last

The Meadow is now moving on a pace The 2 weeks of good weather have pushed the flowers on after these following days of rain when we next have a dry spell I'm expecting an explosion of flowers especially the Ox eye daisies .The moles are having a field day most annoying that I have to shovel up all  the mole hills before I can mow the grass

A late start to flowering in 2013

I have been in Ireland for two weeks . We are so far behind here in my meadow I reckon at least 3 to 4 weeks.

Meadow before it was cut

Meadow after it was cut

Apple Blossom

Crab Apple Blossom

The apple blossom is fully out and looking gorgeous but the wild flowers are way behind what they have been in previous years 
On my return I cut the grass redefining the island beds .  
The yellow rattle is well established now, so hopefully will help to control the grasses . 

Saw the first fungi today but I will have to get it identified on ISPOT and edit later

Unidentified fungi

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I've added Aquilegia  to the bed at the top of the meadow as another early food sorce for the bees

Mid April In The Meadow

The weather has been so cold that the meadow is a good three weeks later Than it was last year.The upside being that the daffodils have really lasted well in the colder weather and it has only been the gale force winds of the last few days That has caused their demise

Orange Oxslip (Primula veris)
2013/M12

Common Oxslip (Primula veris)
2013/M13

White Fritillery (Fritillaria meleagris)
M2013/m14

Purple  Fritillery (Fritillaria meleagris)
M2013 /M15

Common Daisy ( Bellis Perennis)
2013/M16

Grecian Windflower Anenome
Blanda Blue2013/ m17

Hoary Bittercress (cardamine hirsute)
2013/M18

Honesty Lunaria  annua
2013/M19