Garden Wildlife

Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion – Weed or Wildflower?

Everyone has their own favourite spring flowers and dandelions are one of mine. As soon as the first flowers appear on the croft and the roadside verge, I know it is time to start to look for bumblebees and hoverflies.

Water Cricket Velia caprai

489 for 4 – Garden Wildlife

Animal species in my garden In the first year I concentrated on moths and then started on some of the other invertebrates I was catching in the moth trap and on general sightings of some of the more charismatic, and relatively easily identifiable, groups of insects – butterflies, hoverflies, dragonflies and bumblebees. Each year I

Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)

Another carnivorous plant in the Outer Hebrides?

I enjoyed reading the recent summary of insectivorous plants in the Outer Hebrides and was reminded of it whilst taking part in my ritual but futile summer Horsetail pulling. Like many, my garden is riddled with horsetail and we have an uneasy truce. It grows, I pull it up, it grows, I pull and so

Redcurrant plant defoliated by Gooseberry Sawfly larvae

Gooseberry Sawfly

The arrival of the Gooseberry Sawfly in the garden is the stuff of nightmares. Do not be deceived by these comely creatures, their discovery is enought to strike terror into the heart of any gardener.

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