Wild Edges

   I spent the day between the allotment and the garden. The garden is ordered but still a bit wild around the edges.Who remembers blowing these Dandelion seed heads to tell the time?Sending the seeds airborne with each puff of breath. This seed head was by the greenhouse.

 I cherish Dandelions. Having made a pillow of these to lie down on when i was small.The orange flowers attract all the local pollinators.They make a fabulous dry wine too.I read on Twitter that someones children thought that the dandelions were meant to be in a garden, because there were so many there.
 The funny thing is if you tried to grow them they would not respond. They self seed where they want to, and will not be swayed by the whims of gardeners.

 A Creeping Buttercup flowers by the greenhouse too. They have a beautiful simplicity, and purity. These are endemic all over the plot.I still adore the yellow flowers reflecting the sunlight.

  The wild edges of the unruly garden make a great home for some friendly native British wildlife. The pond has had newts since I dug the hole. How they found it I do no know. Maybe they smelled the fresh water? Here two common Newts swim around. They are fascinating to watch, swimming, doing Tai Chi in the water, or lying very still. I love the way they gulp their air down from the surface.

  The Birds are the most common wild things that I attract into the garden. This friendly Robin hops around even when we are in the garden. The Warlike Robin is a gardeners friend sat on the spade or fork handle waiting for the digging to uncover grubs and worms.He makes me happy to see him.

The other wild thing that I keep seeing, and have managed to photograph is our long tailed field mouse. He must live under the fence or patio. He scurries out from his hiding place, to raid the dropped bird seed.He can jump like a horse too if he is scared. Up and forwards.

 I think amazon the second is quite handsome in the mouse face stakes. He was happy to let me photograph him.I left some treats on the patio slabs.He has a funny habit of running between the slabs in the narrow gulley's.

 Some welcome returners to the pond are the common garden Frogs. They are like temperate water spirits peeking out of the pond looking at you. Some are skittish and dive straight into the water.

 Others are more laid back and will let me photograph them. I think the chilled frogs have seen me before and remember me.

 Its hard to estimate how many Frogs and Newts have taken residence in the pond. A lot hide in the murk, or under the bricks, or in the roots of the pond plants. I love seeing British wildlife having a home in our garden, when it has been built to attract them.The pond water has cleared slightly now, as the natural balance between clear water, and green algae has been reached.

The last photo of the wild edge of the garden is a Poppy flower head dangling down like a green tear drop. It is growing behind the rose bench. I think it is a welsh poppy but need it to open to work out what it is.
 The wind has blown the seed there, or the birds have dropped it. I love finding plants in new unexpected places. They choose the best place and bloom away. If you tried sowing them they would fail spectacularly. Nature is funny sometimes.
 The Chelsea flower show has exquisite manicured show gardens, but a slightly scruffy wildlife friendly garden is as much fun, and will last for many years to come.