Sea Thrift

Sea Thrift -one year old

Last year a sea thrift plant survived very successfully in one of our flower beds.  This is an extremely hardy sea side plant (armeria maritima) and is well loved by bees, moths and butterflies.






This year I have planted three more - two pink, one white.  This is one that has been planted in the gravel area to the side of our car park.

One of three new plants

It's been lovely weather this week so they are starting to look quite settled in.

What we are attracting without trying

It seems we are not the only people who have large numbers of ladybirds around the garden area.  There seems to be a massive surge in their numbers.  From a look on the internet it appears that this can happen occasionally and so long as they have aphids to feed on they will continue to thrive.  It just seems odd that there are so many around at such an early stage in the year.  If anyone has any further information, please let me know.

The other thriving creatures are of course, SEAGULLS.  Once again they are nesting on the roof so we are starting to see dropped bits of nest material at the front of the guest house.  Also the annual event of our television satellite being out of order has once again occurred.  The long suffering television repair man knows only too well that seagulls like nesting in satellites and also with the amount of additional movement that happens on the roof at this time, any wiring can easily be dislodged!  Just one of the joys of living by the sea.

First actions of the year

Sea Thistle

Last year I started planting things that would hopefully attract wildlife.  This was a mint plant, a sea thistle, lavender and nasturtiums.  After a long winter it's time to look at what has survived from the items planted last year.  Surprisingly the mint, which looked dead to the world last autumn, is thriving.  The one sea thistle also looks healthy.  We removed the remains of the rambling nasturtiums and will recycle the seeds at the right time.  The lavender is also doing well. 

Lavender

Optimistically I have now planted another Sea Thistle, this time Eryngium Gigantium.  Any thistles will attract insects and these are particularly hardy and look quite dramatic.

Eryngium Gigantium