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Sweet BriarMonday, 23rd July 2001, West Yorkshire |
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IN TOWN, by the car park, there's a waft of fragrance. A thick hedge of planted Sweet Briar rose is in flower alongside the pavement. There's also lots Buddleia (left)in bloom, in both purple and white, but, perhaps because it is surrounded by an acre of tarmac, it has attracted only one butterfly, a Large White, along with some small bumble bees.
Alongside another car park, on the crumbled corner of a brick wall, a small scrambling vine of Bittersweet, also known as Woody Nightshade, has a few purple-and-yellow flowers and its first few berries, which are as yet green. In contrast, the Hedge Mustard on the same corner has stiff straight stems, tiny cross-shaped yellow flowers. To me it seems to have a spiky appearance with the seedpods pressed close to the stems.
The Marigolds between our patio and the hedge are attracting Hoverflies, on lands on the table in front of me and I notice that, on the top of its head, it has a small gap between its compound eyes. I guess this makes it a female, as the male has eyes which almost join on top of its head.
A Green-veined White touches down on a petunia. Morning and evening a Grey Heron flies over the house, from the direction of the wood.
Richard Bell,
wildlife illustrator
E-mail; 'richard@willowisland.co.uk'
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