I have got rather behind with my Outside the Back Door blogs although they have been published in my church magazine on time! So now attempting to fill in the gaps. This one is from October.
We had nearly put the comfy deckchairs away but, as September drew to a close, the sunshine and warmth briefly returned, drawing me back out onto the sunny side of the patio.
The wildlife was also clearly enjoying this last burst of summer. The first thing I spotted was a dragonfly soaring around the garden. In the low sunlight it was tricky to see what sort. I was about to stroll onto the grass to get a better view but then remembered that it had rained the previous evening and there were now muddy worm casts appearing. The season was changing and no longer could I just stroll across the grass in sandals or slippers, I needed to fetch my old gardening shoes.
My lovely white cosmos ‘Purity’ were still in flower and being backlit by the sun whilst attracting bees. This autumn the garden seems to have been full of fluffy orange carder bees. They clearly love dahlia, cosmos and sunflowers. They are one of my favourite bees to see around the garden but I wondered why they are called ‘carder’? Apparently the name derives from the textile industry as they comb material together to form a cover for their nest, much in the same way as thread might be ‘carded’ before being woven.
Slightly less beautiful was the annoying chattering sound of a squirrel. Presumably something was antagonising it. I don’t know where it was sitting but its call was both monotonous and relentless. Perhaps it was complaining that I’d yet to plant my spring bulbs for it to then dig up! I am prepared. My chicken-wire pot covers are at the ready. I am not going to be thwarted by my tufty-tailed neighbour!
There are a still quite a few butterflies around the garden. Sitting out on those September afternoons, I spotted both large and small whites and a pair of red admiral. It was interesting how the press reported an enormous increase in red admiral butterflies this summer, but I can’t say I really noticed it in the garden. However, when we were on holiday in Cambridge and then Suffolk, we literally saw dozens. They seemed to be everywhere. They also seem to have been more present in our garden in the autumn compared to earlier in the year. On several warm afternoons we also had a pair of speckled wood butterflies who were constantly dancing around each other in mid-air. Whilst this always looks very charming, the butterflies are actually establishing territory.
As the breeze increased, the magpies began fluttering around. I don’t know where they spend summer but our regular pair are now back and will hang around locally until next spring. If we put the hedgehog food out before dusk, they will be swooping down to steal it. They treat it like a good gingernut biscuit being dunked in tea! They pick up a piece of kibble and then drop it into the nearby water bowl to soften it before eating it. Very clever – never underestimate a magpie!
Talking of hedgehogs, during September we had two new kids on the block. They were quite independent when they arrived but so much smaller than the big adults who have been around all summer. We once read that, to survive the winter, a hedgehog needs to be the size of two grapefruit. When they first arrived, these two were little more than the size of a decent orange! However, they have now been eagerly eating their kitten kibble each evening and are clearly growing. There’s not much more we can do than give them a decent meal each evening and try to encourage someone to take up residence in the des-res that is our as yet unused hedgehog house! Whilst we might have enjoyed a late blast of summer, nature is definitely preparing for winter.
Outside the Backdoor 