WILD SUMMER GARDEN ~ INSECT PARADISE

| gaiainaction
A look at our garden through the conservatory window on a rather dark day this summer, but it’s all good. This spring and summer I let all the wild plants grow wherever they wanted as first and foremost on my list was to give as much food as possible to the insects. It has worked too, we never had so many insects before. Some of the thistles at the back of the garden are now taller than myself, as are the poppies and some of the foxgloves.
It has worked, yes. At first we had a huge quantity of borage, then the kafir lilies started to flower and the marigolds, then in the beginning of May so many more flowers followed. Soon bumblebees, bees and hoverflies started to arrive. Honey bees seem to favour the kafir lilies, the bumblebees are partial to the foxgloves, the comfrey, and the borage. By now the lavender is also visited by all the insects.
  • Great lavender harvest this summer
  • A type of catnip
  • Plenty of bees and bumblebees
  • Lady’s mantle
  • Oxalis
As you can see, the garden is rather wild. My patch of garlic is totally overgrown with foxgloves and thistles. Unused leeks are growing and coming into flower soon, they are allowed and I am looking forward to see what they will add to the garden.
  • Lavender
  • Feverfew and Melissa
  • I love the sage plant and flowers
  • One of the mullein plant is now in flower
Apart from the kafir lilies we are having a super crop of red poppies which we are enjoying very much, as are the insects.
Foxgloves grow wild in Ireland, and so they just come to grow in the garden too. I love them and they are never without some insects visiting them.
  • Wild purple loosestrife
  • Strawberries
  • Black currants
Mostly herbs here, sage, oregano, lavender, Melissa, thyme, and some celery too.

25 thoughts on “WILD SUMMER GARDEN ~ INSECT PARADISE”

    1. Thank you Terri, I so agree with you that we need to make some extra special effort this time in order to keep the bees and other insects from dying out. This morning I counted 15 bumblebees on the poppies, it was lovely to see and they were feeding frantically.

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    1. Totally agree with you Helen, I just spent one hour this evening looking around the garden, discovering this plant and that…hidden among all the wild growth, I think its wonderful and very calming for the mind.

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      1. Yes, to be absorbed in watching the daily activities of beings outside yourself is very restful. The latest for me is what I believe to be some kind of tit (bird) visiting the garden. This is the first year I’ve seen them – they like the insects in the trees and bushes.

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