A busy day at the nectar bar

The boots are having a bit of time out at the moment, but there's plenty going on right on my doorstep.

 

Last year I resolved to plant a nectar bar in order to encourage and support bees and butterflies in my garden.
 

 Scabious is a great addition as it has a long flowering season, as long as you dead head regularly. It comes in a pleasing array of colours, from pale blues and lilacs to deep pink.

Centaurea Montana - Cornflower

Inula Hookeri

Eryngium - Blue Thistle

Solidago - Goldenrod

Of course, no nectar bar would be complete without the ubiquitous Buddleia, whose common name of Butterfly Bush is self explanatory.

Red Admiral

 

Small Tortoiseshell on Alchemilla Mollis - Lady's Mantle

 2014 seems to have been a very successful year for the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly, at least in my garden. I was very happy to see my first Peacock butterflies this morning when I looked round the garden.

 My white Buddleia is not as prolific a bloomer as the purple variety, but is just as popular with butterflies.

 Meanwhile, the native hedgerow around the perimeter of the garden attracts a different variety of insects. I'm not expert enough to identify most of them.

Gatekeeper butterfly on bramble

I've unintentionally disturbed a few slumbering moths while I've been gardening.

This one pictured left seems to be under or behind every pot I move. It has beautiful orange underwings, but I haven't managed to get a photo of it in flight yet.

 I don't know which plants they favour, but they seem to be very plentiful despite the nightly visits by Pipistrelle bats.

Last but not least... Sugar Stealers! I thought these were magical when I was a child and I still love to see them floating round on a Summer's day.

Thanks for visiting, hope you've enjoyed the photos. 

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