Dorset Garden – Page 2 – ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY

BEHOLD: A BEE HOUSE

Published on June 30, 2015 by Rolling Harbour7 Comments

I was given a bee house in May. Previously I was the proud owner of a bumblebee nest box, which didn’t seem to be a success until, in early Spring 2014, I watched a small, dozy bumblebee crawl out of it, slowly get its act together, and fly off…

I wasn’t certain how a bee house would work, so I put it in a quiet south-facing out-of-the-way corner, later adding a pot of lavender under it.

After a couple of weeks of nada and niente, I decided to move the house to a length of wall that stayed longer in the morning sun, and to dispense with the lavender.

This looked more promising, but I was highly doubtful that such a fine multi-apartment abode would find favour with the bees. The holes looked good – a range of large down to very small – but still, it looked a bit… NEW. I thought it would need to be weathered for 6 months to get rid of the smell of ‘shop’.

Gratifyingly soon, however, I was proved wrong. One morning we found (a) a bee inspecting one of the penthouse suites and (b) 2 partial wax caps

Note bees on the roof and on the lower storey; 2 partially capped cells on the upper storey

The following morning there was evidence of further activity – one completely capped cell

Since then a number of bees have taken overnight accommodation in the bee house. They prefer the holes drilled in wood over bamboo holes for a short stay, and at any given moment there are two or three small faces visible.

So overall we are pleased to report that the experiment can be counted a success. The garden has been revitalised during the last 2 years following 20 years or so of benign neglect, and bee-friendly plants have been a priority. So far, so good.

ALLIUM STUDIES, DORSET

Published on June 16, 2015 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

“ASSORTED AQUILEGIA…”

Published on May 26, 2015 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

“Assorted Aquilegia” is probably what it said on the packet. But it came from a wholesome source not unconnected with Perch Hill, and the results of the experiment have been gratifyingly immediate and colourful this year. New soil in the beds (after a lengthy lay-off from any serious attempt at cultivation) may have something to do with it as well. Here are some of the flowers snapped on an iPhone this weekend.

JOCUND COMPANY: DAFFODILS IN DORSET

Published on March 29, 2014March 31, 2014 by Rolling Harbour6 Comments

We’ve been away from Dorset for 4 weeks. We left a cold, still-slumbering winter garden and have returned to a colourful Spring one with birds, bees and butterflies. I took a look at the daffodils that are rather randomly dotted around. We let them decide where to grow, and occasionally divide a clump to spread them around a bit. I found eight varieties, of which I only know the name of one (pheasant’s eye) and a half (the half being our nickname for it, see below).

The daffodil below grows on the west coast of Ireland. It is a type of hardy narcissus, with stout leaves and a liking for exposed windy places in the garden. We call it ‘Narcissus Marcus Malus’, because our friend Mark ‘liberated’ some from close to his house in The Burren, Co. Clare. Bad Mark! They are very robust, with small flowers. The second image shows them with a ‘Standard British Daffodil’ (= One ‘Wordsworth’) as in the top image, for size comparison.

A SECOND BUNCH OF FLOWERS FROM DORSET

Published on July 19, 2013 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

A BUNCH OF FLOWERS FROM DORSET (2)

Published on June 27, 2013 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

Here’s a second bunch of flowers from a Dorset garden in June. Those few who kindly sniffed the first bunch may have wondered why none was labelled. That’s because, for most of them (apart from the obvious ones) I have no idea of the names. Or did once, but have forgotten them. And for familiar ones, I feel putting “Pink Rose” isn’t much help if you really want to know if it’s a Rosaflora Grandiloquens “Dame Edna Everage” or not. If I name 2 or 3 but not the rest, it still looks a bit… wrong. So it’s just ‘flars’, as Eliza Doolittle might say.