x4 images. Double click to enlarge. Back in February I noticed the frogs had did their thing and laid eggs in small clumps initially. Then as the days passed the pond was quite full of eggs! And there appeared to be no stopping them. I spotted around 3 frogs amidst the plant growth and frogspawn,… Read More The Frogs Are Back!
Last of the perennial geraniums after rain with gentle autumn sunlight.
Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) – I caught this one intially taking a few sips of water from my birdbath. I was looking through my patio window, and thought to myself I bet I won’t have time to swap over lenses, will I? I had my macro lens on, and I half expected the bird to fly,… Read More Caught Napping
Common Frog (Rana temporaria) – I found this one hiding under a rock near the garden pond. It was smaller than my little fingernail. As you can see it still has its tail, but its limbs are developing, and it can hop a short distance, although a little clumsily. Early days yet.
Common Frog (Rana temporaria) – At 12 mm(1/2 in) long, I just about spotted this little froglet in the garden pond. How quickly it has grown. I spied its younger siblings still with their tails, feeding on algae beneath the water, but this one will now be carniverous as it ventures out onto land for… Read More Venturing Onto Land
Common Frog (Rana temporaria) – Life in the garden pond can be quite a challenge. As featured in a previous post, I watched damselflies hunting flies, snatching them out of the air. Now, as newly emerging damselfies are leaving the water where they have been as larvae for the past year or so, I have… Read More Hunting & Hunted
Salvia rosmarinus – I have always grown Rosemary in the garden. It is a member of the mint family, the Lamiaceae, which also includes nettles. Apart from its distinct aroma when the leaves are crushed, and its taste when used in cooking as a herb, it also makes a lovely evergreen woody shrub which has… Read More Rosemary
I have always been around peonies. My mom and dad grew them, and I grow them now … well I just let them get on with the growing. This is a double peony, and it is newly blossoming. I liked the way the morning light had caught it, and tried to capture it just as… Read More Garden Peony
Scilla forbesii – A bit late for this one really, as the flowering period is now over. But one of the early spring flowering bulbs. Double-click to enlarge image. © Peter Hillman ♦ 27th March 2020 ♦ Front garden, South Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Viola riviniana – Although unscented, these lovely little flowers have always popped up in my front garden during the spring. Many folk consider them to be a weed and pull them out. But I rather like them, and they never give me any bother, so I just leave them be. I have added a side… Read More Common Dog-violet
Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) – I saw two of these around the garden pond today … and they were on the hunt. Although not power fliers like the larger dragonflies, they were quick and nimble, and I watched one of them snatch a fly out of mid-air. I was quite amazed how they soon got… Read More Hunting Ground
Pyrrhosoma nymphula – I saw three of these around the garden pond fluttering lazily in the sunshine before settling down again. I know they breed in the pond, as I have seen their larvae under the water. © Peter Hillman ♦ 25th April 2020 ♦ Rear garden, South Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Common Frog (Rana temporaria) – I can’t believe what a frenzy of activity is going on in the garden pond at the moment. It is teeming with tadpoles and all of them are scraping algae from the rocks, so much so some of them are virtually picked clean. They have grown so much bigger, too.… Read More Growing Bigger
This is a Panola … a cross between a pansy and a viola. I planted them last autumn in some pots to give the garden a little winter colour, and they are still going beautifully. I like to challenge myself in photography, and I try to aim to refrain from cropping where possible, but I… Read More Beautiful Blue
The tadpoles are growing fast feeding on the algae in the garden pond. Double-click image for a closer look. © Peter Hillman ♦ 8th April 2020 ♦ Rear garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Kerria japonica – These flowers are from a deciduous shrub which was already growing in my garden from the day I moved here almost 30 years ago. It goes by different names, but there are no thorns on this rose. It never fails to display these small, bright yellow pom pom flowers. © Peter Hillman… Read More Japanese Rose
© Peter Hillman ♦ 27th March 2020 ♦ Front garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
Pulmonaria officinalis – This is the flower the bees and the hoverflies love to drink from. It is quite an important early flowering plant for spring pollinators. I am always taken how the colour of the flowers vary so differently on the same plant – bi-coloured. You can double-click image to zoom in. © Peter… Read More Common Lungwort
Common Frog (Rana temporaria) – This is an early stage tadpole, and I appear to have zillions of these teeming in my small garden pond at the moment. Note the branch-like appendages either side of the head … these are external gills, which as the tadpole develops will become wrapped in a pocket of skin… Read More Frogs Are Coming
Another one from last autumn. I love how the colour of the flowers of Hydrangeas change with the seasons. Copyright: Peter Hillman Camera used: Nikon D7200 Date taken: 12th October 2019 Place: Rear garden, Staffordshire
This is a hardy Geranium after rain, one of the few remaining flowers left in the garden as autumn deepens. The flower is so delicate and refined with those shimmering raindrops it is like it is made from the finest glass. This can be quite tricky to photograph. Besides the lighting conditions, it all depends… Read More Like Ornamental Glass
The Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) has gone mad again this year, spreading its roots and sprouting throughout the garden pond. Yet its sweet sugary goodness attracts many insects, so it is always good in that respect. This is one of the last blooms which I wanted to try and capture before they all disappeared with… Read More End of Season Flowers
As you know I like to get close to things, and I chose a Petunia which has been growing in one of my containers on the patio for this one. I was so attracted to its deep rich colours and the intricate veins spreading through the petals like ink stains on blotting paper. Rear garden.… Read More Looking Differently
Rear garden. September 2019 © Pete Hillman.
This Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) are still flowering as others fade. Rear garden. September 2019 © Pete Hillman.
… and the blossoms bow down to autumn … Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), rear garden. September 2019 © Pete Hillman.
Out of the glare of the sun you can see more details in the most delicate of blossoms. I isolated this fuschia bloom in a shady corner of the garden once the sun had moved around. © Pete Hillman August 2019.
I have noticed how big the young frogs are now growing in the garden pond. I spied four of them amongst the Water Mint and pond weed poking their heads out the water. Feel free to click the images to enlarge and click again to get even closer … © Pete Hillman August 2019
Blackbird singing out the day from a lofty perch …
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer … June 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata) – Over the last three years since my garden pond’s inception it has attacted some interesting and beautiful forms of wildlife. Growing Water Mint attracts these attractively coloured little micro moths. The adult moths lay ther eggs on the plants and the hatching caterpillars feed on the leaves. Rear garden, May… Read More Around The Garden Pond
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer … Hardy geranium. June 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer … Hardy geranium. June 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Spring begins with Snowdrops. February 2019, front garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
The garden bird feeder is quite busy at the moment. These Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus are certainly taking advantage of it and they are welcome too. May 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Back in March I discovered clumps of frogspawn in my garden pond which was built 3 years ago in the spring of 2016. You can imagine my excitement as this was the first time I might have my first tadpole nursery! Before I knew it the tadpoles were appearing, and as they grew I noticed… Read More Underwater Grazing
This is one of the best years for peonies I have known here. I do love the rain so long it doesn’t pour endlessly, and this morning it was but a brief spell. I love the freshness and invigoration it brings to the garden, so I couldn’t resist popping out with my camera when the… Read More A Drenched Beauty
Autmum fell to winter, and winter flew and we are already enjoying a wonderful spring here on this side of the pond. Finally I made it back after a fairly long hiatus, and I will look forward to catching up with you all! This is one of my favourites which seemingly appeared out of nowhere… Read More Catching The Sun
Click once to expand view, click again to get that little bit closer September 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
I have three Lavender bushes in my small garden, and the bees and butterflies really enjoy visiting them. Next year I may consider planting a lavender hedge, if I can make room for one. This butterfly with the twin spots is called the Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus). Click once to expand view, click again to get… Read More Butterflies And Lavender
