A July audit

The picture below shows, more or less, what the project looks from the actual kitchen window.

The flora of the area is rather sparse following recent clearance with the greatest variety in the bordering hedges.  These contain the following species: yew, wild privet, ivy, bramble, ash, wild rose, hawthorn ,shrubby honeysuckle (Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis 'Baggesen's Gold'), holly, wild plum (bullace), and hazel.

Plants on the ground floor include false-brome grass, herb-robert, the spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides ssp. robbiae,  Druce's cranesbill (Geranium x oxonianum), hogweed, perennial cornflower (Centaurea montana), pennyroyal, black bryony and early dog-violet.

Of these 20 species 15 are British natives and the rest introductions.

Pond with stone and (right) hazel.

The narrative continues

After eleven years this project continues.  Of course, like all patches of land, the area viewed from the Kitchen Window is still there.  It was quite overgrown though until Tana cleared it up during her gardening operations yesterday and it is now back 'under management'.  The area is about 1.5 metres square and bounded by a mixed hedge at the rear, a Lonicera 'Baggesen's Gold' hedge on the east and a yew hedge to the west.  The path to our backdoor runs along the front.

A small highlight for the return to this project was the arrival of a male gatekeeper butterfly on the last of the bramble flowers.  It was the first of this species I have seen this year and I was getting a bit worried as they usually start to appear in early July.