Rain Delay And Gorgeous Goldfinches

The Clematis continues to flower in the pot on the decking area. The soft lilac flowers keep on opening. I need to make a frame for the Clematis to grow up. It needs tying on in places as it does not grip surfaces like Honeysuckle or Ivy. It is opening more flower buds daily, so it seems to have good flowering potential. A lot of plants look great when you buy them but then keel over or never repeat flower again. This Clematis looks like it has stamina. I have the pot next to my white Lady statue. I think I will keep photographing her next to whatever is best in bloom. A photographic project for this year?

The juvenile Squirrel is still doing his best to decimate my pots. He just starts digging, then moves onto the next pot. I do not think he is burying anything. I wander if it's learnt behaviour, or if he is copying the adult squirrels? He is lightning fast and very athletic. Scaling sheer walls, pergolas, fences, and trees. Leaping between them. Running along the left hand fence like an Olympic sprinter, jumping up between sections. I do not know what people do to discourage Squirrel damage in the garden. I have never known one to dig in pots. I know American gardeners have suffered more damage from these cute animals.

Finally these gorgeous Goldfinches came to our garden for the first time yesterday. We have heard them singing in the trees. I played them the song from my Goldfinch toy and it finally brought them down from the Tree's. I bought a new Niger Feeder yesterday with four poles for the Goldfinches to alight on. They have been back today and fed on the Blue feeder (photographed above) and the new green feeder. They are such pretty birds with their cute little faces. I'm glad it only took a month for these to find us. The old garden took more than six months to entice them in. A collection of Goldfinches is called a Charm. I'm always charmed by them. They are lovely to watch. I have also planted six Teasel plants in the raised border. These architectural plants have lovely thistley flowers, and great seedheads in the Autumn. I want to see if the Goldfinches will feed on their natural wild food source, if it is available in our garden.
The weather is wet, grey, and cool today. The allotment trip has been put back to either tomorrow or Saturday. I need it to be dry so the allotment is not a muddy quagmire. so i have been watching the birds and enjoying the flowers in the garden. A perfect day off plan when its raining.